The Conclusion in the Psychology
by Eternal Destiny 304
Summary: EARLY SEASON 4. After some turmoil between B/B, they decide that Sweets was right when he said they had developed a surrogate relationship 4x03 . To fix the issue, they agree to more therapy. But Sweets wants to push them closer, not pull them apart. R
1. The Flowers for the Woman

**A/N: Hello everyone! Thanks for dropping by! This is my new multi-chap and I'm pretty excited about writing it. I hope you're excited about reading it. =)**

**PLEASE READ! This story is set a few weeks after 4x03 (the episode where Brennan was dating two guys and it blew up in her face.) At the end of the episode B/B go to one of their therapy sessions and Sweets suggests to them that they have developed a surrogate relationship that prevents them from being properly intimate with anyone else. That suggestion is what this story centers around, as Booth and Brennan gradually accept that he may have been right and try to figure out what to do about it.  
**

**My story begins with Booth attempting to date someone else. (Wait, just hang on a second!) He will be dating this other woman for about three or four chapters at the beginning. I don't want to give too much of the plot away, but I do want to reassure you that she is only a means to an end and that she is necessary for Booth and Brennan's mutual realization that is the focal point of this story. Basically, I'm a Booth and Brennan fan all the way and I will never pair either of them with anyone else for any longer than absolutely necessary. Trust me! **

**One more important thing to know about this story: Given that this is set early season four, most of the angst that we've seen on the show hasn't occurred yet. Booth and Brennan are extremely close but are completely unaware of the fact that they're in love. That's right, even Booth doesn't know. They know they're protective of, possessive of, and attracted to each other, but they both choose to ignore the implications of that. They'll have to realize it as the story goes along. **

**Sorry for all the disclaimers, but I just wanted to make a few things clear from the beginning. =)**

**Many thanks to Hannah Taylor1 who has helped with plot, structure, and execution of this chapter and the new story as a whole. If you're a B/B fan you NEED to go read "Problem Solving, the Booth and Brennan Way." She's got over 100,000 words of awesomeness there just waiting to be devoured! **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Bones! **

**Wednesday, 12:15**

"It's no big deal, Bones." Booth held open the diner door for her. "Would you just drop it?"

"I believe it is quite an oversized deal if you buy a woman flowers in the middle of a work day." Brennan retorted, pushing his hand away when he started to pull out her chair for her at their usual table.

"We were on our way to lunch, not a crime scene or anything. And it took five minutes. Less than that." He plunked himself into the seat across from her. "What is your problem?"

She shook her head. "I just feel that it is unprofessional." She sniffed, opening her menu and closing it again instantly. They were at the diner. She would have what she always had. "Besides, what possible reason could you have for buying flowers for a woman? Are they for Caroline?"

Booth gave her a confused look. "What? No! Why would I buy flowers for Caroline? They were for a girl – woman – I went out with last night."

Brennan cleared her throat, picking her menu back up. "Oh?"

"Yeah, you know, just a casual thing. Met her last week at the batting cages." He drummed his fingers awkwardly. "Nothing important really."

Brennan raised her eyebrows. "It must be important if you are purchasing flowers for her the next day. Either you had intercourse with her or you plan to soon."

Booth's mouth gaped open and he leaned towards her, his eyes darting around to see if anyone was listening. "Bones!" He hissed at her. "Don't just say things like that!"

"Am I incorrect?"

"Yes!" Booth snapped, sitting back again and sending an apologetic glance to the people at the counter who looked over.

"So you don't intend to have intercourse with her?"

"No, Bones, geez!"

Brennan frowned. "Then I fail to see the need for flowers."

Booth sighed and leaned closer again so that he could speak softly. "Look, Bones, I don't have intentions at all, ok? She was nice, we had fun, we laughed and talked and yeah, I'd like to see her again. So I sent her flowers. If and when I decide to sleep with her, I will not be discussing it with you."

He sat back and took a large gulp of his water. "So can we please talk about something else now?"

"Something other than intercourse or something other than the woman you want to have it with?" Brennan queried, her expression serious.

"Both." Booth ground out.

"What's her name?"

"Ellen Wolfe." Booth sighed. "No more questions, Bones."

~B/B~

**Wednesday 3:42**

"Ok, Sweetie, what is going on with you?" Angela jutted her hip out, placing a hand there. "I know you're thorough, but seriously, you've been staring at the same x-ray for thirty minutes. What is so fascinating?

Brennan turned to her friend. "My attention is not captivated by this x-ray."

"You could have fooled me." Angela quipped before seeing the look in her friend's eyes. "Ok, spill. I know something's bothering you."

Brennan sighed and walked away from the display screen. "I must confess that I have something on my mind. I am somewhat confused."

"Well, I can't explain it to you if you don't tell me what it is." Angela tried to get a smile out of Brennan, frowning when Brennan merely looked at her. "Tell me, Bren."

"Booth went on a date last night."

Angela nodded, letting out her own sigh. "Oh."

"I can see no logical reason for me to be affected by that knowledge. Do you have an explanation?"

Shaking her head, Angela looped her arm through Brennan's and guided her back to her office, closing the door behind them. "Sweetie, I could explain it to you all day, but you don't want to hear it."

"Of course I do. That is why I asked you." Brenna took a seat on her couch and Angela followed suit. "I am considering the possibility that I am upset because Booth took time away from our case to engage in social behavior, thereby stalling our investigation."

"Uh-huh." Angela reached out and patted Brennan's arm. "That's not it."

"Are you certain?" Brennan frowned, her brow furrowed in concentration.

"Yeah, Bren, I'm certain." Angela chuckled. "Here's the deal. I'm not going to explain this one to you, ok? I think you need to figure it out on your own. I'm just going to ask you one thing. All right?"

Brennan's frown deepened. "But… all right." She acquiesced when Angela put her no-nonsense face on.

"You're always telling me that the simple, most logical answer is always best, right? So think, Bren. Really think objectively. What is the simplest, most logical reason you don't want Booth dating?"

~B/B~

**Friday 4:57**

Brennan peeled off her gloves and threw them away. "I will record my findings and send them over to you tonight." She informed her partner, smiling at the way he was leaning against the railing of the platform, flipping his poker chip in the air.

He glanced at her. "No rush, Bones. I'm not working tonight."

"Oh?" The small feeling of discomfort that had plagued her on Wednesday returned as she anticipated the reason for the early end to his work day.

"Nope." Was his uninformative answer.

"Do you have Parker?"

"Nope." He said again.

"Will you be visiting Pops?"

"No, Bones."

"Is there a sporting telethon you wish to view?" She made a last ditch effort.

"Marathon, Bones. It's called a marathon. And no, I'm not going to be plunked in front of the television. I'm going out." He followed her to her office, leaning in the doorway as she went to her desk.

She glanced up at him. "Oh." She cleared her throat and sat down in her chair. "Alone?"

He looked at her. "No, Bones."

"With Jared?"

"Bones, I'm going on a date, alright?" He sounded exasperated. "Geez, you can't let anything go, can you? For future reference when someone is avoiding your questions, you should stop asking them."

"A date? With Ellen Fox?" Her small feeling discomfort blossomed within her and she was irritated by the reaction.

"Ellen Wolfe." Booth corrected her. "And yes. We're seeing each other again."

She nodded. "The flowers worked."

He chuckled, moving slightly inside her office. "Yeah, I guess so. Look, Bones, this isn't weird, ok? I mean, you date, I date. I just haven't in awhile, that's all."

"Why would it be weird, Booth?" She was asking him genuinely, hoping he could provide an answer that would explain why it was indeed strange for her that he would be dating.

"It wouldn't be." He smiled and pointed at her. "That's the point."

They looked at each for a moment before he swallowed and took a step back. "Alright, I'm gonna run and get changed and stuff. Don't work too late tonight, ok? Promise?"

"Too late is a relative term, Booth."

"Yeah." He rolled his eyes at her. "Just, not too late, Bones."

~B/B~

**Monday 11:23**

"Hey there, studly." Angela's voice startled him into looking up. He was in his office, at his desk, doing his work, and yet there was Angela standing before him. His mind went straight to his partner.

"Is Bones ok?"

Angela laughed. "Relax, I'm here socially."

That did nothing to help him relax. "Uh, ok? What's up, Ange?"

"How's your new girlfriend?" Uninvited, Angela took a seat in the chair across from his desk. She raised her eyebrows at him. "Sexy?"

"How do you know about…" He sighed. "Bones told you."

"Oh yeah, she did. Right before she asked me why it bothers her." Angela chuckled and leaned forward, eyeing Booth's disbelieving expression. "Oh, come on, you knew it bothered her. You can read people a mile away, no way you missed Bren's reaction."

"I don't know what you're talking about, Angela." He looked pointedly back at his paperwork, hoping she would take the hint and leave.

"I told her she had to figure out the answer on her own, but I figure that'll take awhile, so I'm here to check out your new lover. Make sure she's acceptable." Angela crossed her legs. "So how about a picture or something?"

Booth put down his pen and stared blandly up at the woman before him. "Back off, Angela."

"Oh, come on, Booth. Give me a picture and I'll show it to Brennan. If she's hot, it'll make Bren even more jealous." Angela grinned, leaning forward. "It's just a picture…"

"We've gone on two dates. I don't exactly have a picture of her in my wallet." He snapped at her, rubbing a hand over his eyes. "Besides, I'm not trying to make Bones jealous. She's not jealous. We're just partners. Friends and partners."

Angela started to reply when a faint knock on the door behind her stopped her.

"Ellen!" Booth stood up quickly. "Hi, what are you doing here?"

Angela turned and took in the tall, curvy woman with hair the color of fall leaves. Her laugh nearly escaped her and she shot a grin at Booth.

"Hi, Seeley." Ellen entered the room, her eyes roaming Angela in return. "I just wanted to stop by and say hello. I'm sorry I missed your call last night. I was tied up at work until early this morning."

"Hey, no problem." Booth moved around the desk and slid an arm around her shoulders, giving her a light, slightly stiff peck on the cheek. "Ellen, this is one of my squints I told you about. This is Angela."

"Ah, not Bones, then." Ellen held out a hand. "Nice to meet you, Angela."

Angela took the offered hand and looked at Booth. "Oh, the pleasure is all mine." She grinned. "I've been dying to meet you. Booth has told me so much about you."

"He has?"

Booth shot Angela a look that contained a death wish in it, but she ignored him. "Absolutely. I feel like I know you already." Angela continued, still holding onto Ellen's hand. "You've simply got to come and meet everyone at the lab. It's like Booth's second home there. How about now?"

"Angela, Ellen just stopped by…"

Ellen laid her hand on Booth's arm, sliding it down to take his hand in hers. "I have time, Seeley. And I know how important your work is to you." She smiled at him. "I'd love to see your lab, if you don't mind taking me."

~B/B~

**Monday 12:06**

Ellen received a phone call as Booth pulled into the Jeffersonian parking structure, and when the car stopped, she got out and excused herself for a moment, sending Booth an apologetic look.

As soon as she had closed the door behind her, Booth twisted around in his seat and glared at Angela. "What do you think you're doing?"

Angela laughed. "Relax, G-man. I just want to get to know your girlfriend. Besides, Brennan can still compartmentalize her existence away if she hasn't seen her. This will speed up her impending realizations."

Booth sighed. "Look, Angela, I know you have this pet idea that Bones and I are meant to be… romantic, but you're wrong, ok? Bones and I are partners and, sure, we care about each other. I would do anything in my power to keep her safe and happy. But there is not and there will never be a romance between us. She doesn't feel that way."

When Angela raised her eyebrows at him, he quickly tacked on, "And neither do I."

Angela gave him a searching look. "You really mean that, don't you?"

"Yes!" Booth said too loudly, exasperation pouring out of him. "So can you stop trying to sabotage the first relationship I've had in a year and a half? I might actually like this woman."

Angela flopped back against the seat. "All right, for the record, I still think you're both in denial, and I know for sure that Brennan is not cool with this. But…" She rolled her eyes at him, "I will behave. We can leave if you want."

"Yeah, because that wouldn't be at all strange." Booth muttered. "I'll just bring her here, and then as soon as we've parked, I'll tell her she can't go inside. That doesn't make me seem crazy at all."

Angela's smile returned. "So we're going inside?"

"Yes." Booth opened his door. "But I'm not happy about it and if one thing…"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, you'll shoot me. I've heard it before." Angela hopped out of the car and winked at him.

~B/B~

**Still with me? I'd really love your feedback on this one. It helps so much to hear what you think and if you give me details then I can know exactly what to change or what to keep the way it is.  
**

**Thanks for reading! Oh, and if you're confused AND you skipped the A/N at the top, go back and read it. ;-)  
**


	2. The Awkward in the Anthropologist

**A/N: Good evening/morning! Thank you guys for the wonderful response to my last chapter. I wasn't sure how people would feel about the whole Booth/other woman thing, so I was pleasantly surprised. Your feedback means so much to me! **

**I did receive a number of requests to "GET RID OF ELLEN NOW NOW NOW!" lol, I will do my best to do exactly that. However, for the moment, she is still very much here and very much dating our stud. BUT, I have slipped in lots of B/B moments and lots of Booth talking about Bones when he's with Ellen. I did that for two reasons. First, it's fun. *shipper squeal* Second, for YOU guys! So thank me with flowers and chocolates and reviews! ;-) **

**Note: This story is set after 4x03, so the Hodgela break-up is a quite recent event. Just important to know in order to explain some Angela and Hodgins behavior in this chapter. **

**Much thanks and love to my beta, Hannah Taylor1. She is amazing, as always, and she continues to guide me through the rough terrain that is always the beginning of a new story. Send her flowers and chocolates and reviews too.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Bones. Who started the rumor that I did anyway?**

~B/B~**  
**

**Monday 12:12**

Booth searched out his partner as he walked into the lab flanked by two women. Angela, on his left, was grinning as she was apt to do after putting him in awkward positions, and Ellen was simply taking in the rather impressive sight of the room before her. When she reached for his hand, he let her take it.

He finally spotted Brennan walking towards the forensic platform and sighed. He was not looking forward to the introductions that were about to take place. Obviously his partner didn't like the idea of him dating and he doubted she'd hide it well.

It wasn't that he didn't understand why she'd feel weird about it. They were close. When she dated it ruffled his feathers too. He was protective, possessive of her, and he hadn't met a guy yet that deserved her. It was sort of endearing that she felt the same way about him.

He just wished she was more capable of dealing with those feelings.

"Sweetie!" Angela waved Brennan over. "Over here."

"This place is fascinating." Ellen leaned in to him as she spoke, her eyes still darting around. "You work here?"

"Uh, not really." Booth watched Brennan approach. "My partner does."

"Bren, this is Booth's girlfriend, Ellen." Angela introduced the women, before perking up as though she had heard something in the distance. "Oh, I think I hear Cam calling! I'll see you crazy kids later."

Brennan's eyes were on his and he offered her a smile. "Heya, Bones. How's it going?"

"Fine, thank you. Do you have new information on the case?" She blinked at him, cocking her head as she waited for his answer.

"Nope… just stopped by." He nodded his head towards Ellen. "Like Angela said, this is Ellen. She wanted to see the place."

Ellen smiled and reached out a hand. "Hi, Bones. I've heard a great deal about you."

Booth froze, holding his breath in anticipation of her reaction to the use of his nickname for her.

"My name is Dr. Temperance Brennan and I prefer to be addressed by my title."

Ellen looked at him for help. "Uh…"

"It's ok, Bones, Ellen is just used to hearing me use your nickname." He let out a forced chuckle. "No big deal."

Brennan didn't skip a beat. "When you say you've heard a great deal about me, are you referring to my widely acknowledged expertise in anthropology, my excellent reputation as an FBI consultant, or my multiple successful novels and placement on the best-sellers list?"

Again, Ellen fumbled.

Desperate to reduce the tension, Booth laughed once more and slung his arm around Brennan's shoulders, giving her a squeeze that appeared casually affectionate, but was actually a silent warning. "Ah, Bones, such a joker. What Ellen means is, I've told her about our work together and what a great partner you are." He squeezed her shoulder once more before releasing her. "Right? Right. Hey, could I talk to you for a second?"

Sending Ellen an apologetic smile and a gesture to wait for him, he took Brennan's arm and propelled her towards her office.

~B/B~

**Monday 12:17**

"Booth, let go of me." Brennan pulled her arm out of his grasp, frowning at him as he closed her office door. "I don't appreciate being manhandled any more now than I ever have, you know."

He folded his arms across his broad chest. "Funny, I don't appreciate you freaking out girls I'm dating." He gave her a look. "What was that all about, Bones? You couldn't just say, 'Nice to meet you' or something?"

"I don't believe in lying." She moved towards her desk, a stubborn look settling on her features.

He sighed. "Look, Bones, I'm sorry I sprung Ellen on you, but it's not like she's done anything to you. She's nice and if you'd paid any attention out there you might actually like her."

"I don't dislike her." Brennan shuffled papers around on her desk. "I simply do not understand why I am being asked to put my work on hold in order to converse with your girlfriend."

"Because that's what friends do." Booth moved around her desk, crowding her space so that she could not continue to pretend to work. "Look, Angela told me that you… you know, feel weird about me dating."

"What?" Brennan demanded, her head jerking up.

"It's normal." He assured her. "I feel pretty weird about the guys you date too. It's no big deal. We're just used to being protective of each other, used to spending a lot of time together. And neither of us handle change that well, especially you."

She considered this, nodding slowly. "I suppose there is a certain logic to that."

"Right." He gave her his charm smile. "So just try to be nice to her, ok? No more not-so-subtle intimidation attempts. For me?"

Brennan frowned. "I can't help it if my accomplishments and intelligence are intimidating."

"Just… try, Bones." Reaching down he took her arm and tugged her up, using the momentary distraction to wrap his arms around her and pull her in. "See? Nothing's changed." He rubbed his hand lightly across her shoulders, squeezing her once before letting go enough to look at her. "We're still us."

He was surprised when she allowed herself to settle in his arms for a moment. But it was just a moment, and then she was pulling away, her face a mask of non-emotion.

"I admit that I do not read facial expressions and body language as well as you do, but I believe that Ellen was either surprised or offended by our guy-hug." She suddenly smirked and leaned back into him, resting her head on his shoulder, her arms wrapping around his torso. "Maybe you should inform her that to you I am a man and to me you are a woman."

~B/B~

**Monday 1:08**

Booth pulled out Ellen's chair for her, smiling at her as she sat down. "Look, I really am sorry about…" He trailed off, not sure how to define what had just taken place.

She shook her head as he sat down across from her. "You don't have to keep apologizing, Seeley. Angela seemed quite nice and your… well, Dr. Brennan seems very… focused."

Booth chuckled. "Yeah, she's intense. Honestly, she's not always even aware of how she comes off, and when you get to know her she's pretty amazing."

"I'll take your word for that." Ellen said drolly. "You two seem quite close. Closer than I had imagined."

Booth sighed and leaned forward. "We are close. She's… very important to me. But she's just my partner, Ellen. My partner and my friend."

Ellen held her hands up, palms facing Booth. "I wasn't prying. We're just casually seeing each other. No explanations needed. Yet." She sent him a small smile.

He breathed a sigh of relief. "Ok. So… what kept you at work so late last night?"

"Late night domestic case resulted in seizure of two brothers and a sister. They were so upset. Inconsolable really." She shook her head, setting down her menu, deciding on a small side salad.

Booth reached over and patted the back of her hand. "Sorry. That must be rough. Bones was in the system when she was younger. I know it was really hard on her. Dealing with that every day…"

Ellen nodded, easing her hand out from under his. "Yes, I'm sure it was difficult for her."

"Yeah, she doesn't talk about it much, but whenever we have a case that deals with a foster family, it really takes its toll on her. I remember…" He cut himself off, glancing sheepishly at her. "I'm sorry. I don't mean to go on about her. It just reminded me… you're a social worker, she was a foster kid." He smiled awkwardly. "Sorry."

Ellen cleared her throat. "She's part of your life. It's perfectly understandable."

Booth dragged a hand over the back of his neck absently, wondering how he had gotten so out of practice at this. He had always been a charmer, someone who made a girl feel special.

Giving her his lopsided smile, he leaned more towards her. "Let's just… talk about something else. Tell me about your family."

~B/B~

**Monday 7:12**

"Cam, I need Bones." Booth walked into the pathologist's office, hitting his fists together and straightening his tie.

Cam didn't look up from her computer. "Seeley, if this is going to become a personal conversation, it needs to wait. I'm a little busy at the moment."

"Ha ha." He rapped his knuckles on her desk. "I need Bones because I've got a lead and I'd like to follow up on it before it dries up and withers. She's not in her office and I can't find her around. It's before nine, so I know she's gotta be here somewhere."

Cam glanced at him. "I believe Angela commandeered her."

"What?"

"I don't know the details, I just know that Angela said she was tired of Dr. Brennan being snappy and that drinks and dancing would improve her mood." She shook her head, sighing. "Dr. Brennan did not agree."

Booth frowned. "But she went?"

"After much debate and a scene on the forensic platform, yes. Which reminds me, kindergarten teachers don't get paid enough money given what they have to deal with every day."

Booth raised his eyebrows. "Ok… I'm going to assume that was connected somehow. Know where they were going?"

"Not a clue." Cam stood up and stretched. "Can't you just call her?"

Booth tapped his head. "Thought of that one already, Camille. She's not answering."

"You know, for a guy who's finally dating again, you sure are crabby." Cam's hand settled on her hip as she gave him a wry look. "Anything you want to talk about?"

"Other than the fact that I need Bones and she's not available?" He pulled out his phone and tried her number again. "Can't think of anything."

"Ok, I'm not even going to touch that one." Cam held her hand out, shaking her head. "Out you go, big guy. It is way past my dinner time and I am going home."

~B/B~

**Monday 8:32**

He felt an irrational flare of irritation when he saw her standing at the bar alone, not paying a bit of attention to her surroundings. Walking up behind her, he snaked his arm around her waist, pressing up close against her so that she was caught between him and the bar.

"You should be more careful in a place like this, Bones. What if this was some creep instead of me?" He muttered in her ear.

She didn't respond, but he suddenly found that, with one smooth move, he was the one pressing against the bar and she had the definite upper hand. His eyes lifted to hers and he saw frustration warring with amusement. "Then I would have applied pressure to your groin with my knee in addition to rendering you helpless."

He let out a grunt. "Yeah, yeah. Point taken." He pushed her away lightly, straightening back up and adjusting his tie. "Just… pay more attention, will ya? What are you even doing here?"

She raised her eyebrows. "What most people are doing here. Allowing alcohol and loud music to increase the potential for dancing. Is Ellen here?"

He frowned. "What? No, why would she be?"

Brennan shrugged. "This seems a popular place to bring potential mates."

"No, I came here to find you." He leaned in closer so that she could hear him over the music.

Her eyes widened in surprise. "Why?"

A sharp tap at the center of his back prevented him from answering her, and he turned around, finding Angela, decked out in an appropriately inappropriate clubbing outfit. His eyes widened. "Angela, hey."

"Stalk her much, G-man?" Angela crossed her arms and tapped her foot at him. "How did you even find us? Don't tell me you had a chip installed in her."

"Yes, how did you find me?" Brennan wanted to know.

"FBI. It's sort of what we do. And I need Bones for an interrogation." He told Angela as he took Brennan's elbow. "She's got to work tonight."

"Booth, stop." Brennan pushed at him. "I've already had two drinks and I smell like smoke. Not to mention, I am dressed much less professionally than I should be for an interrogation."

He had been trying to keep his eyes on her face ever since he walked in, but now let his eyes drop to take in her tight jeans and small, low-cut top. "So I'll take you home to change."

"Or you could question the guy without her." Angela pointed out. "We're having girls' night."

"And we're catching a murderer." He poked Angela's shoulder. "I win."

"There is a suspect?" Brennan looked torn. "Angela…"

Angela let out a resigned sigh, rolling her eyes at both of them. "Oh, just go already… you know you're going to."

Triumphant, Booth took his partner's arm again. "Sorry, Ange."

"You are not. Go on. Nevermind that I'm still coping with losing my husband and fiancé at the same time. I'll be fine." Angela picked up Brennan's unfinished drink and took a swallow with an exaggerated air of distress.

A small flash of guilt hit Booth. "Hey, well, you look amazing. She looks amazing, doesn't she, Bones?"

"Yes, she is very sexually alluring."

Angela grinned. "You're both forgiven."

~B/B~

**Tuesday 10:49**

"Hodgins was able to match the fibers from the crime scene to the fibers on the jacket that the suspect was wearing last night." Brennan explained, holding up enlarged photographs of the evidence for Booth to look at.

He peered at them, nodding. "Great, so, that puts him at the crime scene at the time of the murder."

"Not necessarily." Brennan hesitated. "He knew the victim quite well. It is possible that the fibers transferred at another point in time during their relationship. All this proves is what we already knew. The suspect and the victim were in close proximity to each other at various points in time."

"Huh." Booth grunted.

"And thank you, Dr. Brennan. You've done a magnificent job of rendering my findings useless. Would you like me to continue generating pointless facts or may I be excused?" Hodgins crossed his arms over his chest, staring at them both defiantly.

"Hey, woah, slow down there, buddy." Booth straightened up, his eyes snapping. "There is no way you get to use that tone with her. It's not her fault the fiber thingies didn't work out."

"Booth, it's fine." Brennan laid her hand on his arm and shook her head. "If you remember from the last occasion this discussion arose, I am not concerned with Dr. Hodgins' harsh tone of voice." She held Booth's gaze until he relaxed his defensive position, muttering something under his breath as he did so.

Turning to Hodgins, she nodded. "That's all for now, yes."

As Hodgins left, Booth crossed his arms over his chest. "I'm getting a little tired of his attitude, Bones. I mean, I get it. Heartbreak is the pits, but I don't want him taking that out on you. I think it's time he and I had a discussion."

"Do you mean an actual verbal discussion or are you using the word as a metaphor for a physical fight?"

Booth laughed. "Uh, the first one. But hey, if he doesn't cooperate, you never know." He winked at her, chucking the underside of her chin with his finger. "Gotta defend your honor, right?"

His phone rang as she shook her head, a hint of a smile on her lips.

"That is ludicrous, Booth."

He placed a finger on her lips to hush her as he answered. "Booth."

She was surprised when his finger suddenly dropped from her as though she had bitten him.

"Ellen, hey." He shifted, moving a few steps away from her. She followed him.

"No, I think I'm free. Sure, tonight would be fine."

He glanced at Brennan, nodding, and she kept her face neutral.

"Sounds good. I can pick you up… no? Ok, yeah I'll meet you there."

"Booth, we need to go see Carlson now." Brennan didn't lower her voice at all as she spoke, her hand tugging lightly on his arm.

"Sorry, Ellen, I've got to run. Yeah, no, the case is still ongoing." He paused. "Ok, see you tonight."

Hanging up, he shot her a glance. "Geez, Bones, impatient much?"

She shrugged. "I'm sure that if I took personal phone calls at work you would be impatient with me as well."

He rolled his eyes. "Uh-huh." Resting his hand on the small of her back, he moved her forward. "Come on, Bones, don't just stand there. We're in a hurry, remember?"

~B/B~

**Tuesday 8:02**

Booth walked into the restaurant and gave Ellen's name to the flame-haired hostess who couldn't have been more than eighteen or nineteen. The girl gave him a smile and a prolonged glance before leading him to the table where Ellen was waiting.

Ellen stood and he took her hand, leaning in and kissing her cheek. "You look beautiful."

"Thank you." She squeezed his hand and they down across from each other. "I was hoping you'd like the dress. I don't dress up often. Not that practical with my job."

He nodded. "No, I bet it's not. I have no idea how Bones does it, wearing those dresses and heels while she's out in the field. Then again her jump suit looks just as uncomfortable."

Ellen nodded, opening her menu. "The food here is excellent. Have you ever been here before?"

"Once, but it was a couple of years ago."

Raising her eyebrows, Ellen asked, "With Dr. Brennan?"

"No, why?"

She chuckled. "I just assumed."

He blinked at her, letting out a sigh. "Ellen, if it bothers you that I…"

She cut him off. "Seeley, there's no need. Really."

He reached his hand across the table, resting it on her arm. "We're dating, so there is a need. I don't mean to make you uncomfortable."

"No, you don't understand." Sending him a smile, she covered his hand with hers. "I met this guy, Daniel, when I was eighteen. Fresh out of highschool, heading for college. He was dating my future roommate and they were really serious, but he and I just clicked instantly. We became such good friends and started spending a lot of time together." She chuckled. "You would not believe how many times I had to explain our relationship to people."

"Ellen…"

"So I understand, Seeley. I do. And if you say you're just friends, then you're just friends. I lost more than one boyfriend over my relationship with Daniel. I'm not going to cut off whatever this is just because you have a beautiful and brilliant female best friend." She patted his hand and picked up her menu again.

He stared at her for a long moment. "I don't know what to say."

She laughed. "Don't give me too much credit. I take a great deal of comfort from her rather… underdeveloped social skills."

The need to defend his partner flashed through him, but he attempted to reign himself in and speak casually. "Bones is honest. What you see is what you get. Its one of the things I appreciate most about her, even if it does make her seem a little… strange to people who don't know her like I do."

"Well, I like a man who values honesty."

"You wouldn't also happen to like a man who orders steaks that are too big and still red in the middle, would you?" He raised his eyebrows at her as he perused the menu.

She grinned back. "I think I would like that blatant display of masculinity very much."

He chuckled. "Glad to hear it. Bones is always on me to give up meat. She just doesn't appreciate the joy that a thick hunk of beef can bring."

"Obviously." Ellen murmured so low that he almost didn't hear her.

~B/B~

**Tuesday 10:27**

The knock on her door surprised her and she pulled her robe a little tighter around herself before opening it. Her partner waited on the other side.

"Heya, Bones. You up?" He strolled in past her.

She closed the door behind him and crossed her arms over her chest. "Obviously I am, Booth."

"Brought you leftovers." He held up the takeout box in his hand. "My steak came with these mixed vegetables. They have some kind of weird sauce on them. I figured you'd like it."

"Leftovers? From your dinner with Ellen?" There was a sharpness to her voice that she didn't intend.

"Yeah." He gave her a long look before striding over to her and lifting her chin so that she met his eyes. "Look, Bones, she's being really great about… us. Really great. Can't you…?"

"What?"

He sighed. "Try to like her? I'm not asking you to paint each other's nails and braid each other's hair or anything. I'll settle for toleration even. You know you're important to me, Bones. She might become important to me too, so I need to you try."

"Booth?"

"What, Bones?"

"I find braids to be visually unappealing, and they have salons where professionals will do my nails."

Shaking his head, he tapped her chin once before letting his hand fall. "I know that in your own Bonesy way, you just said you'd try." He gave her a soft smile. "Thanks."

She cleared her throat. "Yes, well, Ellen seems quite… acceptable."

Chuckling, he moved to her kitchen and grabbed a beer, offering her one. "She's nice, yeah."

"Your level of enthusiasm is somewhat lacking." She accepted the beer, clinking her bottle against his.

"Bones, she's nice. I'm nice. We're being nice together. That's all I know right now, ok?" He gave her a look, tugging her towards her couch. "Sit. Tell me what you did tonight without me, besides being terribly lonely, of course."

She sat down, getting comfortable while still keeping her robe covering most of her body. "I read a book on a new theory of flesh removal and began my article which will prove that the author was utterly incorrect in his theories."

He paused, his beer still touching his mouth. "Wow, Bones, that sounds… so boring." A grin flashed across his face. "Looks like it's pretty safe to say I'm what makes your life interesting."

She cocked her head. "Is Ellen aware of your insufferable arrogance?"

"Yep. That's how I got her to go out with me. I just walked up, introduced myself, told her I was arrogant and asked her out." He touched his beer bottle to her bare knee, making her pull back from the cold. "Works every time."

"You're being facetious." She smiled, letting out a small chuckle. "I believe I understand why that is a joke."

"Hey, way to go, Bones!"

~B/B~

**See... I told you Ellen was still around. *ducks* I'm going to let you all in on a little secret. ;-) The best way to get me to do what you want is to be really, really, super nice about it. For instance: want Ellen gone? No need to yell! Just ask me nicely and I'll be glad to get it done for you. ;-) **

**Next chapter holds many developments for our love triangle. What was it I said? Four chapters of Ellen, maximum? And next chapter is chapter 3? Looks like you'd better stick around! **

**If you wanted to review, it'd make my day!**


	3. The Tension in the Crime Scene

**A/N: Good evening, lovely readers! I hope you're as happy to see me as I am to see all of you! ;-) I present to you chapter three of this new saga, and I hope that you enjoy reading it as much as I have enjoyed creating it. We're just another step closer to the end of Ellen, and the beginning of the next phase of the B/B relationship. **

**I can't thank you all enough for the wonderful reviews you've left me! I'm so appreciative of all the wonderful feedback, and I'm especially impressed by the number of requests I've received to not hurt Ellen too badly. You guys really are awesome! And just to ease your minds, I do promise not to crush Ellen's heart. =) **

**I simply cannot thank my beta, Hannah Taylor1, enough for her patience, support, editing, and ideas for this story. She is a wonderful writer herself, and always makes me writing ten times better as well. Check out her fic, Problem Solving, The Booth and Brennan Way. I guarantee you will love it! **

**Disclaimer: Bones isn't mine, but sometimes I like to pretend. **

**Without further ado...  
**

Friday 7:23 A.M

"You seem to be more fatigued than usual." Brennan observed as she stirred creamer into her coffee.

Across the table, her partner looked up, rubbing his hand across his eyes. "Yeah, I was up pretty late last night and then had to get up early to meet you."

It was unreasonable, but his words put her on the defensive. "You didn't have to. Despite the fact that we have developed a tradition of having breakfast on Friday mornings, it is not a necessity. You could have simply called."

"Easy, Bones." He shot her a smile. "I like having breakfast with you. It just means I got less sleep, that's all."

She thought about this for a moment. "What kept you up so late?"

"Date went a bit long." He said around a bite of his pancakes.

There was that strange sensation again, the one she couldn't quite identify. The one that confused her. Confusion had always irritated her.

"Well perhaps you should manage your time better." She suggested bluntly.

He glanced up at her. "Somebody's feeling a little grumpy this morning. Did you not get enough sleep either?"

"I got plenty of sleep, and I'm not… grumpy."

"You're a little grumpy."

"I am not!"

"A little."

"Booth, stop it."

"Here, have a bite of pancake. It'll make you feel better." He speared a bite and held it out to her, coaxing her until she parted her lips. She chewed the overly sweet bite, meeting his smile with a cool glance.

"Better?" He poked at her hand, grinning at her.

"No, why would that make me feel better?"

He sighed. "Never mind, Bones."

~B/B~

Friday 10:16

"Alright, what I want you both to do is close your eyes and just allow yourselves to feel. Allow yourselves to explore the most prominent of your emotions and just go with it. Let it wash over you, become that emotion, let it take you over…"

"Booth has a new girlfriend." Brennan interrupted Sweet's soothing voice without warning.

"Bones!"

"I wanted him to stop talking like that. Didn't you?" Brennan whispered to her partner, keeping a wary eye on Sweets. "It was ridiculous."

"And that's all you could come up with? Booth has a new girlfriend?" He hissed back, glaring at her.

"Actually, Agent Booth, this is exactly the sort of thing that I need be kept in the loop about." Sweets interjected, pulling the focus back to himself. "When an event occurs that will affect your partnership it is crucial that you inform me as soon as possible."

"Yeah, and when an event occurs that actually does affect our partnership, you'll be first on my list of people to tell." Booth shifted on the couch, straightening his tie. "This doesn't affect it. Right, Bones?"

Before Brennan could reply Sweets spoke to her. "Dr. Brennan, remember that this is a truth zone. You need to be perfectly honest about your feelings.

Brennan shook her head. "I'm not upset by the fact that Booth has chosen to date."

"See?" Booth said triumphantly. "She's not upset."

"Why would you assume that I would think you would be upset?" Sweets cocked his head.

"Because you often make assumptions that are incorrect." Brennan crossed her legs, keeping her gaze steady.

"So then it would also be incorrect to assume that you feel this is a betrayal to your partnership with Agent Booth?"

She shouldn't feel that it was a betrayal . She shouldn't, and she wouldn't. "Not at all. Booth should be free to date whomever he wishes. It has absolutely no affect on me whatsoever."

"Well, it had some affect…" Booth offered, his left leg bouncing up and down. "She was pretty uncomfortable with the idea at first."

"Is that true, Dr. Brennan?" Sweets asked.

"What? No." Brennan glared at Booth. "I was not uncomfortable with it."

"Right, so all those little comments… the way you tried to intimidate Ellen, that was because you were completely comfortable."

"I did not attempt to intimidate her." Brennan sat further up, turning towards her partner. "If she was intimidated by me, perhaps it is because I am obviously superior in a number of areas."

Booth rolled his eyes. "Ok, yeah, that doesn't make you sound like someone who is uncomfortable with her at all."

"This is excellent discussion." Sweets nodded, making notes. "But let's try to refocus. Dr. Brennan what specifically made you uncomfortable with Agent Booth dating?"

"Nothing!"

"Ok, let me rephrase. Did you feel uncomfortable with Agent Booth spending time with her that he otherwise would have spent with you? Or perhaps you felt that his commitment to you was being threatened." Sweets cleared this throat. "Or perhaps the idea of him being… sexual with a woman bothers you."

"I am not bothered!" Brennan protested sharply, sitting forward.

Booth immediately rose to her defense. "Hey, back off, Sweets. You're upsetting her."

"I am not upset, Booth."

"Agent Booth, it is important that we discuss these things. You may feel uncomfortable with the topic but pushing these feelings aside will only force them to grow within you."

"See, now, Bones, wouldn't it have been better if he'd kept droning on about letting our emotions take us over?" Booth looked over at his partner, and found her sitting with her hands clenched in her lap. "Bones?"

She stood abruptly.

"Bones, hey, what's the matter?"

"For the last time, I am not upset, Booth." She began to move towards the door.

"Um, our session isn't over." Sweets stood as well. "We still have like twenty-five minutes."

Booth glanced at Brennan, who had already opened the door and was leaving the room without so much as a look back at the two men. "I think we're done for today."

~B/B~

"Bones!" Booth shouted after her, catching up with her only when she had almost reached his car. "Geez, Bones, wait up, would you?" He took her arm and turned her around. "What is going on with you today?"

"Nothing. I simply would like to return to the lab. I have a great number of projects to work on. We've received a new set of Civil War remains that require my attention. Not to mention my publicist has been calling repeatedly, requesting an update on my latest book. And aside from all of that…"

"Bones, seriously." He cut her off. "You're always busy, but I've never seen you run out like that before."

She shrugged. "Discussing your love life is an impractical use of my time. Not to mention Dr. Sweets was appearing very foolish with his unsubstantiated guesses as to the nature of my feelings on the issue." She eased her arm from his grasp. "It seemed in everyone's best interest that we end our session."

"You're the one who brought up my love life!"

"In hindsight, that was a poor decision." She turned away from him, reaching for the door handle.

He grabbed her hand, turning her around again. "Bones, stop. Talk to me. Please? I have no idea what's going on."

"Why do you think something is going on?"

"Because you're not acting like you. You're acting all… un-Bones-ish."

"That's not a word." She pulled her hand away, and he let her get in the car this time. "Booth, I'm ready to return to the lab."

Sighing, he walked around to his side and got in the car, starting it up and pulling out of his parking spot.

"We're going to have to talk about this sometime, Bones." He said after five long minutes of silence.

"There is nothing to talk about, Booth. I just want to be allowed to do my job. That's all." She stared at the window as she spoke, missing the concern written on his face.

"Fine. Whatever." He muttered under his breath.

~B/B~

Friday 6:13

"Hey, Bones." Booth tapped on the doorframe of her office.

She glanced up at him from her desk, watching silently as he stepped inside. His smile was more timid than usual.

"Hello, Booth." She said politely, moving her chair back from her desk and folding her hands in her lap. "Did you need something?"

"Just thought I'd stop by on my way home." He leaned against her desk, looking down at her. "Bones, you'd tell me if there was something wrong, right? We can talk about stuff, can't we?"

"Yes, we are typically quite honest with each other." She blinked up at him. "Why do you ask?"

"Come on, Bones, you haven't really been yourself today. Not for the past few days really." He reached out and tugged at her hair. "I miss my partner."

"I'm right here, Booth." She spoke confidently, though she shied away from his touch.

"What are you doing tonight?"

She gestured towards the papers littering her desk. "Research for my book. My deadline is approaching."

He nodded. "Yeah, I guess it is." Offering a smile, he teased her, "No time for your partner tonight then, huh?"

"I assumed you would have a date. It is Friday night after all. I believe most couples consider Friday night to be especially desirable for going out."

"Yeah, I do… later on. Ellen's got a late meeting, but we'll meet up afterwards." He shrugged. "Thought you might want to grab some dinner or something."

She wanted to say yes, but held herself back. "I have a great deal of work to do."

"But you gotta eat, right?" He made an attempt at his charm smile. "I'll buy."

"No, Booth."

"Bones…" He trailed off when he saw the look on her face. "Yeah, alright." Shifting, he moved away from her desk and towards the door. "Have a good weekend, Bones."

~B/B~

Friday 7:42

"Is everything ok, Seeley? You're awfully quiet tonight." Ellen moved closer to him, slipping her hand into his as they waited in line for movie tickets. "Did you have a rough day?

"What?" He glanced down at her. "Oh, no. Pretty typical day."

"So nothing's bothering you?"

He shook his head, then reconsidered. "It's just Bones. She's been acting really weird lately – weirder than usual, I mean. Weird for Bones. It's just… throwing me off since the woman is nothing if not consistent."

Ellen stroked her thumb along his knuckles. "I'm sorry. How is her behavior different?"

He shrugged. "It's hard to explain. She's just more withdrawn, more harsh. I mean, she's always a little harsh, but usually she doesn't mean to be. Today… I don't know. There's something bothering her and she won't tell me what it is."

"Perhaps she needs to deal with it in her own way." Ellen suggested.

"Yeah, Bones doesn't really deal all that well…" He started to say, but the sound of his phone ringing interrupted him. "Sorry, that's work." Flipping his phone open, he barked out his name. "Booth."

The voice on the other end of the line brought only bad news.

"Yeah, I'll be there in fifteen."

He hung up his phone, and gave Ellen an apologetic glance. "There was a body found…"

She nodded. "Of course. I understand, you have to go."

"Yeah." He squeezed her hand. "It's not far from here though. If you wanted, you could come with me and wait till I'm finished at the scene. Bones' stuff usually takes some time before I can get started anyways. Maybe we can still squeeze in some dessert or something."

"Sure." She smiled up at him. "I have to confess I'm very interested to see what it is exactly that you do."

He grinned, guiding her out of the line and draping his arm around her shoulders. "You want to watch me give orders, huh?"

~B/B~

Friday 8:02

"Somebody talk to me." Booth strode up to the forensics team milling the scene. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Brennan stooping over the body, her hair pulled tightly back, her jump suit in place.

"Burn victim. Some homeless guy saw the blaze and called it in." Someone called to him.

"Oh, my." Ellen murmured from her place at his side.

He looked down at her, placing his hand on her arm. "Hey, it's fine if you want to wait at the car. There's no need for you to see this."

"No, I'm fine." She gave him a shaky smile. "I'll just wait here. Out of the way."

"Sure." Leaning down, he pecked her cheek before heading towards his partner.

"Hey, Bones, whatcha got?" He sucked in a breath, the sight of the mangled remains affecting him the way they always did. He didn't have Brennan's cool detachment and acceptance.

"Female. Early twenties. Caucasian. Cause of death undeterminable at this point. Fracture to the right tibia shows signs of remodeling. You brought Ellen." She delivered her speech fluidly, without looking at him, and he almost barely registered the last sentence.

"What? Oh, yeah. We were on our way to a movie when I got the call." He leaned down, looking over her shoulder. "What's that?"

Following his line of sight, Brennan reached across the body and picked up a small, metal toy soldier and held it up. "It's a child's plaything."

"A toy?" He straightened up, reaching out a hand to steady her as she stood. She held the toy between them as they both looked at it. "She had kids." Booth said softly.

"That seems logical, yes." She raised her eyes to his, sharing a sympathetic moment. It was the closest he'd felt to her in days.

Dragging a hand through his hair, he sighed. "I hate it when they have kids."

She nodded, reaching out and touching his arm. "I know."

"Seeley?"

Booth broke eye contact with Brennan, looking over to where Ellen was waving him over. He felt Brennan's hand drop from him.

"She's calling you."

"I hear her, Bones. Just a second, ok? I'll be right back."

He walked over towards Ellen, looking over his shoulder to find Bones frowning after him. "Hey, Ellen, look, I'm sorry. I should never have suggested you come out here. This must be… awful for you. Do you want to catch a cab or something?"

She shook her head. "No, it's not that. I just, I heard you say that you found a child's toy."

"Yeah?"

Ellen bit her bottom lip. "I think you should do a sweep of the area to make sure there isn't a traumatized child hiding somewhere."

He frowned, his brows coming together. "Ellen…"

"Seeley, mothers don't usually carry their children's toys around with them for no reason. Chances are there was a child with her recently. A child who might have run off when his mother was attacked. A child who could be scared to death out there somewhere."

Looking down at her face, he could see the earnestness in her brown eyes. He nodded slowly. "Sure, we can do a sweep. Even if there's no one out there, it won't hurt to look." Leaning down, he pecked her cheek again, his hand reaching out for hers.

When he leaned away from her again, he was startled by the appearance of Brennan at his side. "Geez, Bones, you scared me."

"I need the remains transported the Jeffersonian."

"Sure, in a minute. Ellen suggested we do a sweep of the area to make sure the kid this toy belongs to isn't hiding out somewhere." He gave Ellen's hand one last squeeze before releasing it.

"She doesn't work with us." Brennan said flatly.

"No, but she's a social worker and I think she has a good point, Bones." Booth gave her a look, hoping she would take the hint and cooperate.

"It's illogical to jump to the conclusion that there is a child in the area simply because a toy was found. The toy may have been here much longer than the remains. Her assumption is ludicrous."

"It won't hurt to look." Booth said, taking her arm and pulling her closer so that he could talk to her in a hushed tone. "Bones, you're really acting out here."

"I don't know what that means." She yanked her arm out of his grasp. "I just know that my crime scene will be potentially compromised by agents searching for a child that likely doesn't exist just because you want to keep your girlfriend happy."

"Hey!" He said sharply. "Enough, Bones."

"Dr. Brennan…"

Brennan whirled on Ellen, her eyes blazing. "You do not work with us."

"I'm aware of that, Dr. Brennan, I just thought that…"

"You shouldn't even be here."

"Bones!" Booth grabbed her arm, pulling her towards him again. "Stop it, Bones. What has gotten into you?"

"What has gotten into you, Booth?" She demanded, jabbing her finger into his chest. "I'm not the one who brought my latest lover to a crime scene just so I didn't ruin my chance of having intercourse later."

"That is enough." He said coldly, dragging her a few feet away in a lame attempt at creating privacy. "You can't talk about her that way. Do you get that? That was completely inappropriate."

She jerked away from him once more. "I was simply stating a fact."

"No, you were lashing out about whatever it is that's got you all tied up in knots lately. Now either talk to me about it, or let it go, Bones. Cause what just happened cannot ever happen again."

She met his heated gaze with her own icy one, staring him down. When she finally spoke, her words were clipped. "I'll be at the lab waiting on the remains to arrive."

He let out a frustrated sigh, shaking his head and taking a step back. He held up his hands in a sign of surrender as he spoke. "Fine, Bones, whatever you say. Just keep running away. That's just fine."

~B/B~

Friday 8:24

"Dr. Brennan!"

Brennan was nearly at her car when she heard the unfamiliar, female voice calling her name. She turned towards the sound automatically, then turned right back around when she determined the source of the voice.

"Dr. Brennan, I need to speak with you."

"I need to return to the lab." Brennan's response sounded clipped even to her own oblivious ears.

"Dr. Brennan, I am very good at my job. I do a great deal of work with severely traumatized children, and I've seen far too many situations just like the one tonight when a child is in need of help and people who are less experienced with troubled children don't realize the significance of the situation." Ellen caught up to Brennan and stood between her and her car. "Please listen to me."

"This discussion is irrelevant given the fact that the agents found no trace of a child in the area." Brennan attempted to sidestep the woman, but found her to be more persistent than she had expected. Only the knowledge that Booth was already furious with her stopped her from ensuring that the woman would no longer stand in her way.

"But there could have been." Ellen insisted. "That's not the real issue here, though, is it, Dr. Brennan? It wasn't so much my suspicion about the existence of a child as my presence here to begin with that bothered you."

"I am not bothered!" She said too forcefully. "Though I will admit that I found your appearance here and the interference with our case to be inappropriate and unprofessional."

"Well, I apologize if I offended you." Ellen said sincerely. "But I don't really think this is about professionalism either."

"I'm not concerned with what you think." Brennan snapped, attempting to sidestep her again. Ellen moved with her. "Ms. Wolfe, I have a job to perform and you have a date to return to. This discussion is over."

Ellen let her pass, but before Brennan could feel relief at escaping, Ellen called after her, "You know, Seeley cares about you a great deal."

The words made Brennan stop in her tracks, though she didn't turn to face the woman speaking to her.

"The change in your behavior is upsetting him. He doesn't understand it, but I do. I can recognize jealousy when I see it, Dr. Brennan."

"I am not jealous." Brennan turned slowly around. "What do I have to be jealous of? He's _my_ partner."

Ellen nodded. "He is. And I appreciate that fact. I would never try to undermine that."

"Then perhaps you should stay away from our crime scenes." Brennan turned and headed towards her car once again, desperate to get back to the safety of her lab. But Ellen wasn't quite done.

"Dr. Brennan, I refuse to take the blame if your partnership falls apart because of your reaction to my relationship with Seeley. If you drive him away by lashing out like that, it'll be your fault, not mine. I just want that to be clear here and now."

Brennan didn't have the strength to respond as she threw open her door and dumped herself into her car. Her tension morphed into speed as she forced her way back into traffic and fled the scene of the crime.

~B/B~

Friday 9:13

The lab was deserted. She hadn't called anyone in to work on the remains with her. She didn't want anyone else there. She did, however, desperately hope that Booth would show up, demanding information. Or call for an update. Or send her an email asking what she was doing.

Anything.

But the minutes ticked by and he didn't call. The seconds slid by and she couldn't focus.

Words spoken by the person she wanted to think of the least flooded her mind.

_If you drive him away… it'll be your fault, not mine._

She dropped her head into her hands, wishing that she understood what was happening to her. It would be so much simpler if she could just ask Booth to explain it to her, but something kept her from talking to him about what she was feeling. She was irrationally afraid of what his conclusions would be, and that confused her even more.

_Your fault, not mine._

She stood up quickly, grabbing her coat and her bag. She wasn't getting any work done. She couldn't focus. The shame that was filling her was too oppressive and she knew she had to fix things between her and Booth quickly, or Ellen's horrible prediction would come true.

She owed him an apology and she wasn't one to be indebted to anyone.

~B/B~

9: 48

She knocked on his door, hoping beyond hope that he was alone and that he would answer despite the fact that he would know it was her. Not that she would blame him if he didn't want to talk to her.

He didn't keep her waiting long, though, and when the door opened he stood before her dressed in sweats and an old t-shirt.

"Bones."

"Booth…"

She bit her lip, unsure of what she wanted to say to him. So she just began to speak. "I'm very sorry for my behavior earlier this evening. I was out of line. I know that. You have every right to be frustrated with me, however, I hope that you will at least allow me inside to discuss the situation because I…"

He cut her off, his arms swooping down around her and drawing her in to his chest. Letting out a sigh of pure relief, she allowed herself to lean into him, her hands moving up to rest on his back. He was warm and smelled of soap and comfort.

"Bones, you are driving me crazy lately." He muttered even as his hands tightened around her, squeezing her shoulders. "I can take you being mad at me, but I can't take you not talking to me about it. At least tell me what's going on."

"I'm not angry with you, Booth." She pulled back to look into his dark brown eyes. "Why would you think that?"

He gaped at her for a long moment before tugging her inside and closing the door behind them.

"Why would I think that? Bones, you've been pulling away from me for days. Every other thing that comes out of your mouth is harsh or not-so-subtle way of telling me to leave you alone. What am I supposed to think?" He settled his hands on his hips, his eyes demanding answers from her.

"Booth…"

"I thought we were closer than this, Bones."

She frowned. "We are… I've just been… confused."

"So tell me what you're confused about. Let me explain it to you." He took a step closer to her, tipping her chin up so that she had to look at him.

She shook her head, dislodging her chin from his grasp. "Booth, I just came by to say that I was sorry for my earlier accusations. That's all."

He dropped his head, looking at his floor as he steadied himself. When he looked up at her, his jaw was set. "Would you ever lie to me, Bones?"

"No." Her response was automatic.

"Then tell me. Are you upset with me because I'm dating Ellen?"

~B/B~

***ahem* cliffhanger *ahem*Did you hear something? **

**I won't beg for reviews - I'll just tell you that I greatly appreciate each and every one I do get and that hearing from you guys makes my day and inspires me to write more! Thanks for reading everyone!  
**


	4. The Start in the End

**A/N: Good morning! Thank you guys so much for the reviews for the last chapter. The number of reviews is growing with each chapter and that makes me one very, very happy writer! =) I have the best readers around! =) **

**Alright, the infamous chapter four. I'll just say that I stuck to my promise. I hope that you all enjoy the way this played out and that you'll stick around to see what it means for B/B. Now we can get to the good stuff for our favorite couple!**=)

**Also, to those of you who requested more of the squint squad and other supporting characters, I definitely did hear you and I definitely will incorporate them. They'll be very important characters in the upcoming chapters. There just wasn't room for them in this chapter! **

**Many thanks to Hannah Taylor1 who read this chapter over multiple times and improved it greatly with her suggestions and editing. She just posted a 9000 word update on her story, Problem Solving, The Booth and Brennan way. Are you guys impressed? I definitely was! You should go read it and thank her properly for such a kind gift. ;-) Also, congrats to her on chapter 50! **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Bones, Booth or Brennan!  
**

Friday 9:51

_Are you upset with me because I'm dating Ellen?_

The question hung between them, both of them wondering what the answer would mean. She held his gaze and he could watch the indecision dancing in her blue eyes.

When the silence stretched on awkwardly, he turned away from her and walked towards the kitchen, opening his refrigerator and pulling out a beer. He popped it open and took a long sip before turning and finding her standing directly behind him.

Not breaking the silence, he held out the beer to her and, when she accepted it, retrieved himself another one. Clinking his bottle against hers, he settled back against the counter and watched her as he waited.

"I don't know how to answer that question." She finally said, her voice quiet.

"We can start simple. Just two options. Yes, or no."

"Booth…"

He sighed and scrubbed his hand over his face, knowing that he would once again have to lead her where he wanted her to go. "Can I tell you something, Bones?"

"Yes." Relief was potent in her voice as he shifted the conversation.

He rested his hand in its place at the small her back, guiding her towards his couch and tugging her down to sit beside him. She looked at him expectantly and he took a deep breath.

"Bones, I didn't like it when you dated Sully. I didn't like it when you dated the guy who killed his brother or the guy we thought tried to have you shot down in front of that restaurant. And I didn't like your deep sea welder or your gay boyfriend either." He tapped her knee with his beer bottle, keeping his tone light. "Are you picking up on a trend?"

"I believe so, yes."

"Right." He offered her a smile. "And while some of those guys I had very good reasons not to like… the others I just didn't like because, well…" He hesitated just for a moment, "Because in some ways I consider you mine."

He held up his hand in defense, anticipating her automatic response. "Don't say it, Bones, I already know. You don't belong to anyone. You're an independent woman, so on and so forth. I know." He glanced up at her, meeting her wide, blue eyes. "But we're partners and it's my job to protect you, and somehow, wrapped up in all of that, is a kind of possessiveness. Does that make sense?"

She considered his words for a long moment. "From a strictly logical point of view, that is invalid…"

A sigh escaped him.

"… But, I cannot deny that I too have similar feelings of possession that I was unaware of until quite recently, which leads me to believe that there is some truth to what you are saying."

He attempted to restrain the smile he wouldn't be able to explain. "So then…you don't like Ellen?"

"I suppose there are people I have liked more…" She hedged.

"Bones."

"Fine, if you must know, I find her presence quite undesirable." Brennan gave in with a huff, her brow furrowed.

He should be irritated with her, but he was only relieved at her final acceptance and vocalization of the problem that was between them. Reaching for her, he draped his arm around her shoulders, squeezing her arm.

"Bones?"

"What?" Her voice was still snappy, resentful.

"It's ok that you don't like her."

That made her look at him. "What?"

"It's ok. I'm never going to like Sully ever again. And the deep sea welder guy, not on my speed dial." He leaned closer, bringing his face nearer to hers, his gaze holding hers. "And the next time you pick up some guy to date, I probably won't like him either, and you can't really expect me to because you're my Bones and you deserve better than any of those guys out there."

"That's irrational." She protested, though her smile tugged at the corners of her lips.

"Yep." He agreed easily. "But, Bones, the thing is we just have to accept those weird feelings we get when we see each other with other people and try to work past them."

"We do?"

He nodded. "Yeah, we do. Because as important as you are to me, you're my partner, not my…wife." His eyes dropped from hers as an awkward tension filled the space between them. Pushing forward, he continued, "When I leave work and you for the night, I come home alone, Bones. Someday, I want to come home to someone."

It was her turn to nod. "I know." There was a pregnant pause and then she asked, "Do you want to come home to Ellen?"

He chuckled at the absurdity of the question. "We've been dating for all of two weeks. I'm not really ready to make that kind of commitment yet."

"But… someday?" She blinked at him and he felt a tug somewhere in his chest.

"I don't know, Bones. She's very sweet and we have a lot in common." He reached over and took her hand. "And she's very understanding about our relationship. If she wasn't, you know I wouldn't pursue this, right?"

He watched her struggle to find her footing on logical ground once more. "Booth, if you're attempting to find a life-long mate, you shouldn't base your decision solely on her reaction to our partnership. Such a narrow focus would certainly cause the chances of a long-term commitment lasting to be even lower than they already are."

He squeezed her hand. "You know I wouldn't pursue it, right?"

She started to speak again, but closed her mouth and simply nodded. Silence fell and then he heard, "Booth?"

"Hmm?"

"Thank you for assisting me in understand the nature of my anxieties. You were correct in your assessment that I should simply discuss things with you."

"Feel better, then?"

She seemed to have to think his question over thoroughly before answering. "No, but I understand my thought processes now, which is helpful."

He let out another chuckle. "Ah, Bones. You're a piece of work."

"I don't know what that means."

"It means you're unique." He squeezed her hand again before releasing it. "Are we good?"

She nodded. "Yes, Booth. And I hope you know that I truly am regretful for my actions earlier today."

"It's ok, Bones. Just… next time you want to scream at me about intercourse, maybe we could walk a little further away from all the FBI guys who are never, ever going to let me forget that moment. Ever."

She smiled, a real genuine, Bones smile. "I suppose I could make that small concession."

"Geez, you're a peach."

"I assume that's a term of endearment?"

"Yeah, Bones." He touched her nose with his forefinger. "It is."

Standing up, he took her beer from her, set it aside and pulled her to her feet. "I know you want to get back to the lab and work, but I need to know that this whole tension thing between us is over now. I need to know we're us again."

She nodded. "I will attempt to do a better job of compartmentalizing my feelings and will strive to accept that Ellen fulfills an essential role in your life despite the fact that I personally find her without merit."

He blinked at her. "Ok then."

She smiled at him for a moment before leaning in and giving him a fast, seemingly impulsive hug. He was barely able to get his arms around her before she pulled away again, but even so the gesture alone made him feel a thousand times better.

"You're gonna leave now, aren't you?" He asked her somewhat reluctantly. He'd missed her more than she could possibly realize.

"I do need to get back to the lab." She moved towards the door and he followed her. "But… Booth? Maybe we could have dinner tomorrow. At my place? I will admit that I have missed our evenings together."

He closed his eyes, his hand stilling on the door knob.

"Booth?" Her hand was on his arm immediately. "Are you ok?"

"Bones… I can't tomorrow." He opened his eyes and gave her an apologetic look.

"Oh."

"I'm sorry… I'd love to. You know I would. I just…"

"Have plans with Ellen."

"Yeah." He confessed. "Bones, I'm sorry. She asked me if I'd spend the day with her earlier this week. Her brother is coming in to town and we're having a late lunch and then we're supposed to go to the lake and…" He trailed off, wondering if he was making things worse. "Rain check?"

Her nod was stiff. "Yes. A rain check would be acceptable."

"Bones…"

"I hope you enjoy your day tomorrow, Booth." A smile accompanied her words but it wasn't the smile he wanted. It wasn't her genuine smile, it was just what she did with her mouth when she knew she should look happy.

"Bones…" He knew he was pushing it, but he reached out to touch her, hoping to somehow erase the tension that had taken over her body again after he'd worked so hard to erase it.

She evaded him. "I'll refrain from updating you on our work tomorrow so that you can enjoy your time with Ellen." She told him as she opened the door.

"Bones, no, don't do that."

"Goodnight, Booth." She stepped outside his apartment, pulling the door along with her so that he couldn't reach after her. The sound of the lock catching and her footfalls fading away crushed his heart and he turned, slamming his fist against his wall.

He'd been so close to fixing things with them and then…

He sighed and leaned back against his abused wall, tilting his head back and closing his eyes. He hated that he'd hurt her, hated to see the way her eyes shifted from warmth to cool detachment, especially when he was the reason.

Suddenly unbearably tired, he pushed away from his wall and headed towards his bed. Dropping onto the mattress and sliding between the sheets, his last conscious thought was that maybe when he woke up, he'd know exactly how to fix all of this.

~B/B~

Saturday 7:34

"Seeley, Brent is going to head out." Ellen laid her hand on his arm, and he turned to her, noting that from the look on her face, she'd probably been trying to get his attention for a while. Looking up at her brother, he grimaced inwardly at the look of irritation on the guy's face.

He stood, brushing his pants off as he did so, dislodging the bits of dirt and grass that had transferred onto them as he sat looking out at the lake. "Sure, yeah." He held out his hand for Brent to shake. "I guess it's getting late if you have a long drive back."

"Yeah." Brent's monosyllabic responses had become more typical as the day had gone on. Booth got the feeling Brent hadn't appreciated his consistently high level of distraction since they had met hours ago.

"Well, uh, it was great to meet you." Booth removed his hand from the younger man's iron grip. "Have a safe trip."

"Thanks." Brent turned to Ellen and held out his arms for her. She stepped into them and they said goodbye.

"Catch ya later, kid." Brent patted Ellen's cheek. "Take care of yourself. Thanks for a great day."

Ellen nodded, taking Booth's hand as she did so. "Thanks for joining us. Really, Brent, be safe on the way home, ok?"

"Always am." He gave her a wink and bump to the shoulder before heading to his car. One last wave as he pulled out of his parking spot, and he was gone.

Booth looked down at Ellen and found her looking up at him. He cleared his throat, dragging his hand through his hair. "Did you have fun?"

She raised her eyebrows, a small smirk on her face. "Yes, but I missed my boyfriend."

Guilt washed over him despite the casual tone of her voice. "I'm sorry, Ellen. I've been distracted all day with… work stuff.

Truth be told, he didn't remember much about their day. He thought the food at the restaurant they'd gone to had been pretty good, but he'd been more focused on trying to decide what to do about Brennan than the exact combination of spices used to marinate his steak.

The lake was beautiful and Ellen had gushed over the view and the quaintness of the little boat her brother had rented. Brent had tried to engage him in a conversation about fishing, but Booth didn't remember much of what they'd said. His partner lurked in the back of his mind and more than once he caught himself trying to think up excuses to bail on the remainder of the day so he could go talk to her.

It was driving him insane to not talk to her. Knowing she was upset, knowing that any good that had come from their discussion the night before had vanished the moment she had sensed rejection. If anything, now she was pulling away even more from him.

True to her word, she hadn't contacted him all day even though he knew she had undoubtedly been in the lab working.

"Seeley."

Ellen's voice once again brought him out of his thoughts and his frustration with himself grew.

"I'm sorry." He gestured helplessly. "I'm useless today."

She raised her eyebrows and stepped closer, wrapping her arms around his waist and tilting her head back to look at him. "Do you want to talk about whatever is bothering you?"

_I cannot deny that I too have similar feelings of possession that I was unaware of until quite recently…_

Brennan's words from the night before flashed through his mind and he pictured her reaction if she could see Ellen wrapped around him this way. The thought made his stomach turn and he gently eased away from the embrace.

As he stepped back from her it suddenly hit him that this relationship with Ellen simply wasn't going to work. He liked her well enough and he enjoyed the time they spent together, but more and more his thoughts were consumed with worry over Brennan whenever he was with Ellen. He couldn't even let her hug him without thinking of whether or not Brennan was comfortable with it.

His partnership was suffering and his closest friend was hurting. It just wasn't worth it. He had promised Brennan that he'd never betray her and she obviously found him dating Ellen to be a betrayal.

They'd have to work through what that meant for them, but for now… he looked at Ellen and knew he couldn't keep pretending that he was here with her, when really he was miles away back in D.C. Back in Brennan's apartment. It wasn't fair to anyone.

"Seeley?" She prompted him again.

Sighing, he took her hand. "Ellen, we need to talk."

He could see the understanding in her eyes, but was surprised at her reaction. He'd broken up with his fair share of women during his lifetime, and he'd figured he'd seen all the reactions. Anger, hurt, despair, resignation, indifference. But he'd never seen a woman nod and smile almost as though she'd won a bet or heard an amusing joke.

"Yeah, I guess we do." She pulled him towards a bench, encouraging him to sit. "Go ahead."

Thrown, he hesitated for a minute as he gathered his thoughts. "Uh, look… Ellen. You are really incredible. I mean… well, you're great and perfect and…" He trailed off, rubbing the back of his neck with his hand.

"Seeley?"

He glanced up at her.

"I know you're breaking up with me."

"Yeah."

She nodded, that strange smile still lurking on her lips. "I don't think it's because of anything I did though."

"It's not." He assured her quickly. "It's definitely not."

"I know. How could it be when I'm amazing in every way?" She was teasing him, but he hoped she knew that she was right.

"It's true." He nodded emphatically. "It's really not you at all."

She chuckled. "Seeley, I believe you. For once the, "its not you, its me" speech is actually true. And it's ok. This is ok."

Completely derailed by her reaction, he started to speak, then stopped, looking at her in confusion. "Sorry… I'm just not used to these talks going so well. Now I don't know what to say next." He confessed.

She squeezed his hand, still trapped in hers. "Look, Seeley, I liked you a lot when we met, but it didn't take long for me to realize that there were going to be three people in our relationship. You, me, and Dr. Brennan."

He simply looked at the ground because he couldn't deny her words.

"I was willing to see how big of a part she would play, because you were cute and sweet and I was hoping that someday you'd do more than kiss me in the hallway of my building." She nudged him and he looked at her, a faint flush coloring his cheeks.

She shook her head. "But I think it's becoming obvious that whatever is between you two is much bigger than what could have been between us."

He felt a chill of pure admiration for the woman beside him as he listened to her let of him off the hook effortlessly. "Ellen, I really am sorry. I had no idea…"

She smiled. "I take it you haven't dated anyone in a while."

"No." He couldn't help but smile too, ridiculous as it was. "You really are amazing. Under different circumstances…"

She nodded. "Yeah, under different circumstances."

Smiling softly, he leaned in and pressed a goodbye kiss to her lips. "Thanks."

"Sure, sure. Anytime I can help a guy figure out I'm not the woman he's supposed to be with, I just jump at the chance."

He laughed, but something about her tone niggled at the back of his mind. "Ellen… this is not because Bones and I are going to be together. You know that, right? It's not about romance with us. It's about our partnership and our friendship. That's the most important thing to me and I can't do anything that would jeopardize it. That's all that's going on here."

Ellen shrugged, crossing her legs. "Remember Daniel? My guy friend I was talking about?"

He nodded, unsure of where she was going with the conversation.

"Two days before his wedding to my ex-roommate, he came and showed up at my door in the middle of the night. I was living by myself by that time, and I had a relatively serious boyfriend. He was asleep in the bedroom when I answered Daniel's knock." She shifted, her eyes looking through him instead of at him.

"He didn't say anything, just grabbed my shoulders and yanked me to him and kissed me as hard as he could." She chuckled. "I've never been more surprised in my life."

He tried to keep the point he thought she was trying to make out of his mind. Even considering it felt like a betrayal to his partner. "Ellen…"

She touched his arm. "He stopped kissing me pretty quickly and we just sort of looked at each other for a long time. Then he told me that he just had to know. He just needed to know for sure if there was anything between us."

He had to ask. "And was there?"

She shook her head. "Not at all. Most awkward kiss of my life."

He let out a relieved laugh. "Counting that one the other…"

She held up a hand. "Yes, counting that one, but let's not revisit."

He enjoyed the light moment while he could, but it passed quickly and he was forced to deal with what she had said. "Ellen, I appreciate the hint and all, but Bones and me… it's not like that. It could have been once. A long, long time ago. But we made our choice. We're partners, friends, nothing more. We never will be. Besides, Bones, she doesn't even believe in romance and love and marriage and all that. She thinks it's for… less intelligent people."

Ellen nodded and shrugged. "It's none of my business anymore. I hope you find what you're looking for, Seeley. I really do. Whether it's her or someone she can deal with having in your life. I hope you'll be happy."

Leaning in, she kissed his cheek quickly before standing up. "I'm going to catch a cab."

He stood too. "No, Ellen, I can drive you back. I'm not going to just let you stay out here and wait when I have a car right there."

Looking down at the ground, she sighed before she met his eyes again. "Seeley, I know I'm being nice about this, but that doesn't mean I didn't just get dumped. I'd really rather wait for a cab." She offered him a smile. "Call it claiming a little dignity."

A pang of guilt stabbed at him and he found himself unable to deny her this small request. "Yeah, I get it."

"Thanks."

"I can wait… till the cab gets here."

She shook her head. "No, I'll just go over to the lodge area and wait inside. Go on, Seeley. I know you want to see her."

He nodded. "Yeah. Ok. Good luck, Ellen. I hope you find what you're looking for too."

She smiled over her shoulder, already walking away. "Don't worry. I will."

~B/B~

Saturday 8:46

He didn't call her to warn her he was coming. They hadn't spoken since she'd left last night and knowing her, she'd avoid him. He didn't have time for that now. Not when he had so much to say to her.

So he sent up a silent prayer that she'd be home as he strode down her hallway and lifted his hand to rap at her door. Feeling sneaky, he changed the usual rhythm of his knock just to make sure she'd answer.

The door swung open and she stood in front of him in a pair of jeans and a tank top, her hair tied up in a messy ponytail, her face void of all make-up. She looked young and sad.

"Hey Bones."

She frowned. "Booth, we agreed that we would postpone our evening together so that you could spend time with Ellen. I don't think she would appreciate you being here and I didn't prepare dinner."

"Are you going to let me in or not?"

He shouldn't have been surprised when she took a moment to really think about the question before she stepped aside and let him in. "Bones, last night…. I've been going crazy all day. You can't just walk out on me like that when I'm trying to talk to you."

Shame clouded her blue eyes, telling him that she already knew she had done the wrong thing. "I apologize, Booth. It was not my intention to challenge your mental stability."

"I wanted to explain."

"There was nothing to explain, Booth. As you stated we have to come to terms with our discomfort with each other's romantic partners and determine a way to interact in an acceptable manner." She stepped over to her coffee table and picked up a pad of paper. "In fact, I have been devising a plan with a number of guidelines for both of us that I feel will enhance our ability to compartmentalize…"

He strode over and pulled the paper out of her hands, startling her, before tossing it on the floor.

"Booth!"

"I broke up with Ellen." He told her as he stood too close to her, his eyes too fixed on hers.

She smiled, before incongruously stating, "Oh. I'm sorry."

"You're smiling."

"Oh." She made a poor attempt at arranging her facial features into a more appropriate expression. Her tone, when she spoke, was sincere, though, even if her body language was not. "Booth, I am sincerely sorry. I wish you weren't feeling pain. "

Reaching out, she laid her hand on his arm and pressed softly in an attempt to comfort him that he appreciated far more than the more elaborate gestures most people made in such situations. He moved his arm so that his fingers met hers and their hands fell between them, still linked.

"Bones, we need to talk about why I ended things."

~B/B~

**I do apologize for another cliffhanger! I don't do it on purpose... it just works out that way, promise. Send me lots of reviews so that I'm motivated to get the next chapter up pronto! ;-) **

**Another reminder: I'm attempting to be spoiler free, so please don't mention any of the numerous season six spoilers that I'm desperately trying to avoid when you review! Pretty, pretty please? Thanks!  
**


	5. The Suggestion in the Desperation

**A/N: Good morning lovely readers. =) I apologize for the slight delay with this chapter. I attempted to post last night, but my internet went out. But it's here now and I hope it is worth the wait! **

**For those of you who have been requesting more kissing from the partners, I hear you! I will certainly provide kissing as soon as possible, but they're not quite there yet. They're still not willing to admit what's going on, so a kiss at this point could really throw them off - in a bad way! So I hope you will be happy with the little tender moments I always try to slip in there for you. =)**

**Also, I wanted to just note that the first scene, in italics, is a flashback. I know you guys knew that already... but just in case. **

**Many thanks to my beta, Hannah Taylor1, as always. She read through this multiple times and her ideas and suggestions for improvement have really made this a better piece. So if you wanted to go check out her stuff and leave her a nice review she might come home from her vacation and back to those of us who need her updates and her beta-ing. ;-) **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Bones!  
**

~B/B~

Saturday 8:03

_His hands were tense on the wheel of his car as he maneuvered the moderately heavy traffic that was standing between him and his destination. His hands were just a small reflection of the coil of tension he felt inside. As the minutes passed he became all too painfully aware that he had just walked away from a beautiful, smart, kind, funny, wonderful woman. He waited for the regret to hit him, the frustration or the sadness or … anything. But it wouldn't come. Twenty minute since he left her and it wouldn't come. He had no desire to turn around, no hidden wish to call her in the morning and beg for forgiveness. _

_He'd left behind a beautiful, willing woman and it didn't even bother him. There had to be something wrong with that. Something wrong with the fact that he was rushing back to a beautiful, but significantly less willing woman with enough anticipation to make him break the law he held in such high regard as he encroached upon eighty miles an hour. _

_He should slow down. He needed time to decide what he wanted to say to her. His thoughts were jumbled, tumbling around in his head. Questions brushed at his subconscious with a frustrating elusiveness and no answers followed. He just knew that he needed to see her, to fix things. _

_He knew that he'd do anything to ensure that his partnership was solid and thriving. Even if it meant that he had to relinquish his first relationship in years. She was important to him. Their work was important to him. Her happiness was important to him. _

_And yet, it wasn't enough. It was almost enough. He could last a long time on quiet evenings and heated discussions and the brushing of shoulders. It was intimate and friendly and comfortable, what he had with his partner. But it wasn't enough. _

_He wanted a love, a lover, a companion. Surely he deserved that. Surely there was someone out there for him. He wanted to find her and love her and devote himself to her. It was in his blood. In his mind. Under his skin. _

_He had to believe that he would find that someday or it wasn't worth getting up in the morning. He'd find it someday, but first he had to get Bones used to the concept. Comfortable with the idea. He wouldn't move on without her, he'd move on with her. And she wasn't ready. _

_He could wait, but not forever. _

~B/B~

Saturday 8:53

"_Bones, we need to talk about why I ended things."_

"Was it because you were sexually incompatible?" Brennan asked calmly, her eyes not leaving his.

Surprised, he dropped her hand and took a step back. "Bones! You can't just go around asking people that kind of stuff!"

She looked confused. "You indicated that you wanted to discuss your reasons…"

"Yeah, but that wasn't one of them!" He stared at her for a long moment, knowing that his face was betraying his utter amazement at her question. "No, Bones, it wasn't because of… that. We didn't even get far enough to know… never mind. The point is, I broke up with Ellen because I was tired of my relationship with her getting in the way of our… relationship."

Her face cleared of emotion. "You're blaming me?"

"What? No." He wasn't doing this right. Not that he was surprised, considering he wasn't even sure what he wanted to say to her. "Bones, no, that's not what I meant. I just meant… you're more important to me. Our partnership is more important to me."

She simply stared, and he sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "You know… I could really use a beer. Something to eat… I haven't eaten since lunch."

"I didn't make dinner Booth. I wasn't expecting you."

"That's fine." He headed towards her kitchen. "I don't need anything fancy."

He opened her refrigerator and started looking through the neatly stacked containers she had inside. Tofu and spinach lasagna, tofu stir-fry, pasta with eggplant.

He frowned, calling to her, "Bones, do you have any normal food?"

"Food doesn't have to be meat to be normal."

He turned to find her opening a cupboard. She pulled out a can of beef and potato soup and held it out for him. "I purchased a few items that might be more appealing to you. I cannot vouch for the quality of the product, but it is… normal."

He smiled, walking over and accepting the can. "Aww, thanks Bones. You were thinking about me."

She shrugged. "That's not unusual Booth. I often think about you."

He glanced at her as he found her can opener and grabbed himself a bowl. "Oh yeah?"

"Of course." She said dismissively, as she pulled two beers out of her refrigerator.

"Bones?"

"Yes?"

"I've really missed you."

~B/B~

Saturday 9:22

"So, anyways, the goalie is the only one who can touch the puck with his hands and he wears these huge pads that help him block the puck and protect him from getting all banged up. Not a position I like to play. It's too stationary and you're just stuck there, weighed down by all that padding. I'd rather be on the move, chasing after the other team." Booth rambled as he stuck his bowl in her dishwasher and took her plate from her to rinse it off in the sink.

"Booth?"

"Yeah?" He kept his back to her, his eye focused on the task at hand.

"I'm confused.

"About what, Bones?"

She frowned, approaching him and leaning her back against the counter so that she could see his face. "When you arrived you stated that you wanted to discuss your reasoning for ending your relationship with Ellen, and yet since explaining that it was for the sake of our partnership, you've avoided the subject completely. I'm afraid I require a better explanation if you'd like me to truly understand your actions."

He glanced over at her, setting down his dish towel and sighing. "I know. To be honest, I thought I knew what I was going to say, but then I got here and tried to say it and I couldn't find the words anymore."

"I don't understand."

He nodded. "I know. Look, Bones, I want to explain to you, I do. But isn't this nice too? Just… being? We haven't really talked in over a week, so there's a lot to catch up on."

She raised her eyebrows. "Such as the nature of the goalie position for a hockey team?"

"Yeah, such as that. Among other things." He bumped her shoulder with his, holding her gaze. After a minute he let out another sigh and dropped his eyes to the floor. "Alright, Bones, you win. Let's talk."

Taking her hand, he pushed away from the counter and tugged her after him as he made his way to couch and flopped down, pulling her with him. When she landed, she slid further away so that she wasn't leaning on him, and looked at him expectantly, her head tilted, ready to dissect and evaluate his words.

He took a deep breath. "Bones, I'm just going to be perfectly honest here, ok?" She nodded. "Here's the thing. What we have here… this partnership, friendship, it's important to me. We catch the bad guys and we solve the cases and we give families back a little bit of what they've lost. You and me. We do that. And it's not even just that. It's all the other stuff too. The talking and the fighting and, well…" He gave her an awkward glance, "You know… all of it. I like us."

He paused and looked at her, but her face was carefully blank. "Do you get that, Bones?"

"I believe so, yes." Her voice was uncharacteristically soft and he smiled at her.

"Good. The way we are is good and I would never do anything to jeopardize that. Never."

She nodded slowly. "And you believed that your relationship with Ellen was jeopardizing us."

He gave her a look, sliding fractionally closer to her. "Believe, nothing, Bones. It was obvious. You were uncomfortable. You were pulling away from me. Shutting me out."

She looked down at her carefully folded hands. "That wasn't my intention."

"I know." He reached over and patted her knee before turning her face back to his so that he could meet her eyes. "But it still hurt, Bones. And when I was out with Ellen today I couldn't focus. All I could think was that you were upset with me, with the situation. I just wanted to come back and fix things with you and apologize not being with you today."

"But, Booth, I didn't ask you to leave your date. I was fine. Certainly I can handle spending a weekend without you. I do it frequently." She inched away from his touch in an effort to establish some sort of separation for him as the conversation spiraled deeper.

He dropped his hand but smiled at her. "Really Bones? Because I was thinking about it today, and before Ellen we spent most of every weekend together. Remember a couple of weeks ago when Angela talked us into going to that retreat thing? And the weekend before that Parker and I went with you to visit Russ and Amy. And the weekend before that I barricaded you in my apartment and forced you to watch movies so that I didn't have to explain every single pop-culture reference to you anymore. By the way, that hasn't helped, I've noticed."

Her hand lifted in a frustrated gesture. "I don't understand your point."

"My point is that we've developed certain habits that we've come to take for granted. We spend most of our time together. When you're upset you call me. When I'm frustrated I call you. We make plans around each other and if I'm doing something important I want you there with me. You pretty much handpicked the new furniture I had to get for my living room. You have food in your kitchen that's just for me…" He held her penetrating gaze. "Bones, do you see what I mean?"

She held his gaze as she processed what he was telling her. Somehow they had come to take for granted that their time would be spent together. Somehow she had allowed herself to settle into a routine with him that made her act irrationally when his attention was diverted from her to another woman.

She stood abruptly, walking towards her window, keeping her back towards him. Her mind was racing. Somehow, despite her best efforts, she had come to depend on his company, his presence.

"Bones, what's wrong? What happened?"

She shook her head. "Booth, how did this happen?"

"How did what happen?"

Turning to him, she crossed her arms over her stomach before voicing her conclusion out loud. "Anthropologically speaking, the behaviors you just described are indicative of a committed relationship designed to provide support, comfort and affection. Booth, essentially we are behaving as though we are a couple.

His eyes went wide and he held up a hand. "Woah, hold on there, Bones. Let's not get ahead of ourselves."

She shook her head. "No, it's true. Looking at the scenario objectively, we are engaging in the activities of a committed couple. That's what you just demonstrated, Booth. All of those behaviors you described… the evidence is overwhelming."

He stood too, crossing over to her. His hands went to her shoulders and he squeezed gently. "Bones, relax, ok? There's no reason to whig out on me. We're not in a relationship, not the way you mean. We've never… you know… or anything." He flushed slightly at the words. "We're just close. Really close."

"But doesn't that disturb you?"

He let out a sigh, resting his forehead against hers. "It didn't. Until Ellen."

"Please explain." Her voice was small and it made his heart hurt.

"What I was getting at… before we got sidetracked, was that nothing is more important to me than our partnership. But in our partnership, it looks like there's not a lot of room for… other people. I guess so far it's been alright because you're not looking for a commitment to another person and I haven't been dating. But, Bones… there's a problem here. You know?"

"I suspect so, yes."

"Yeah. I want that dream that you laugh at. I want to fall in love with a woman and make her my whole world. I want to marry her and have children with her. I want to spend my weekends going to baseball games and taking family trips. I want that life, Bones."

She pulled away from him, wrapping her arms around herself. "What are you saying, Booth?"

He followed her as she moved away, but didn't reach out for her again. "I'm saying that maybe we need to talk to Sweets."

Out of all the things she had thought he might say at that moment, those words never entered her mind. "Sweets?" Her tone registered her shock. "Why would we discuss this with Sweets?"

"Because it affects our partnership, Bones." He shrugged, closing in on her personal space. "And remember that thing he said after your two boyfriends broke up with you? About us developing a surrogate relationship?"

She nodded faintly.

"Yeah, well, I know we blew him off, but I don't know, Bones, maybe he's not wrong. Maybe our… closeness makes it hard for us to let anyone else in."

"I hate psychology."

A ghost of a smile touched his lips. "I know. Me too. But will you do it for me?"

"Booth… there's no point in discussing the issue with Sweets. If we find that we have a problem with our relationship, we simply need to evaluate the necessary changes and then decide to make them."

"Like you decided to not be jealous of Ellen?"

Her eyes dropped to the carpet and then lifted back to his. "Booth…"

"Please, Bones?" Offering her a real smile, he reached out tucked her hair behind her ear, his fingers lingering on her mother's earring hanging delicately from her ear lobe. "For me? Otherwise I don't know how either one of us are going to get what we want. I want a family and you want… well, the freedom to want whatever you want when you want it."

She frowned. "Sweets will only conclude that we are in love. He is predisposed to that delusion and this will certainly only further cement it in his mind."

"He's gonna conclude that no matter what we do, Bones. We'll just tell him his theory about the surrogate relationship was dead on and he'll be so distracted by being right for once, he'll forget to be annoying."

"But his theories and his methods are inconsistent and based on conjecture. I can't imagine what real insight or assistance he could provide." She shook her head. "There has to be a better way. We'll just spend less of our free time together and distance ourselves emotionally from each other…"

"No!" Booth cut her off, grabbing her chin and jerking her face up so that her eyes met his. "No, Bones. That's not what I want."

Her brow furrowed as she laid her fingers over his wrist and eased his hand away from her face. "You're contradicting yourself, Booth. How can you have both?"

"I just can. There's a way, Bones, and we'll find it. " He said stubbornly. "That's where Sweets comes in. He'll give us some tips to handle this better or something. Like a twelve step program."

"Booth, twelve step programs are for people who are addicted to some sort of substance or behavior. That hardly applies here."

He smiled. "Maybe you're addicted to me."

"Booth?" Her tone and her face were serious in spite of his attempt to lighten the mood.

"Yeah?"

"I'm sorry that you feel I keep you from meaningful relationships and I'm sorry that I put strain on your relationship with Ellen. I was not aware of the effects of my behavior."

He reached out silently and drew her into his arms, cradling her against his chest. "It's ok, Bones. I meant what I said. You're more important to me." Rubbing her shoulder gently, he pressed his cheek into her hair. "We'll get this all sorted out, ok? I promise. We'll be fine."

She settled against him even as she murmured, "Isn't this counterproductive to our new goal?"

"No, Bones. This is just nice."

~B/B~

Sunday 11:13

"Sweetie, I cannot even tell you how fantastically thrilled I am that you agreed to this. I mean, I've been begging you for years to do this with me and then today, bam, here you are and you're paying. I could kiss you right now." Angela rested her hand on her hip and raised her eyebrows at her friend. "By the way, I can totally sense an underlying motive, but I'm choosing to ignore it because we're getting our nails done and our hair done and we're getting every exfoliation and cleansing routine available. I cannot think of a better way to spend a Sunday."

Brennan nodded absently as she gazed around the private spa room she'd paid for. They had been shown inside with instructions to strip off their clothes and put on the bathrobes hanging on the door. An involuntary, soft sigh escaped her.

Angela heard the small noise and let out a gustier sigh of her own. "Ok, Bren, you are really killing my buzz here. Let's just talk about whatever you want to talk about so that I can fix it for you and then we can enjoy this." She gestured happily around the room. "Look where we are!"

"I'm sorry, Ange, I don't mean to… kill your buzz." Brennan said as she lifted her tank top over her head and neatly folded it. "But you are correct in your assumption that I wish to discuss something with you."

Angela was already mostly naked and heading for her robe. "I'm all ears." She trilled as she fingered the soft terrycloth.

"Booth ended his relationship with Ellen last night and then came to see me."

Angela whirled around, mouth open. "Sweetie, how have you waited all morning to tell me this? What happened? Did he confess everything and take you passionately into his arms?"

Brennan frowned. "I don't know that he confessed everything and I wouldn't describe his embrace as passionate, but we did talk extensively."

Angela rolled her eyes as she belted the robe around her. "You talked? That's all?"

"Yes, and I'm very conflicted about the discussion."

Angela's response was cut off by the arrival of two spa employees who directed the friends to their respective chairs and began their first facial treatment, spreading the collagen mask and serum onto their faces and directing them to lean back and relax.

As Brennan and Angela settled in, the ladies began their foot massages and pedicures, eliciting a groan out of Angela.

"Have I ever mentioned how much I love you, Sweetie? Because it's a lot. This is amazing."

"It is quite pleasant so far." Brennan replied thoughtfully.

"Alright, so keep going - tell me what you're conflicted about."

"Angela…" Brennan lowered her voice uselessly. "We're not alone."

"Oh, please, don't even worry about them." Angela raised her head just enough to smile at the silent employees. "Trust me, I have a feeling whatever you're going to tell me will be a whole lot tamer than most of the things they've heard in here. I mean, we're talking about you and Booth. How racy can it be?"

Brennan hesitated, but the need for her friend's input overwhelmed her. "Booth indicated that he ended his relationship with Ellen for the sake of our partnership and because it was creating an unwelcome strain on our friendship."

"He broke up with his girlfriend for you? Sweetie… that's huge."

"He said I was more important to him."

"Wow. If I wasn't in heaven with the facial and the massage, I'd probably jump up and down right now. Did you just melt into his arms, because I think I'm going to next time I see him."

"Ange, the temperature would have to be extraordinarily high for flesh to actually melt."

"That's a relief, Bren. Really." Angela said drolly. "Seriously though, get to the good stuff. There's good stuff… right?"

Brennan ignored Angela's prodding and continued telling the story at her own methodical pace."Booth believes that the nature of our relationship is such that it prevents us from being able to create meaningful connections with other people because of our own closeness. He thinks our fondness for each others' company combined with our tendency to feel protective of each other has culminated in a feeling of possession." Brennan attempted to explain what her partner had spent most of the night explaining to her.

"So… basically, he's saying he doesn't want anyone but you?"

"No, on the contrary. He stated numerous times that he wanted a traditional family with a wife and children and perhaps several pets. He said he wants to fall in love." Brennan frowned unconsciously and felt the slowly hardening cream on her face shift and crack slightly.

"He wants you to marry him?" Angela sat up quickly and was lightly reprimanded by the woman painting her toenails.

Brennan scoffed. "Of course not. He wants to find a mate that he will attempt to make a commitment to and he doesn't think that he can do that with the state of partnership as it is now."

Angela drew in a breath. "He wants to change your partnership? Bren, your partnership is so successful because of who you and Booth are together. He can't just go messing with that."

"Angela, no." Brennan cut in to her friend's tirade. "I am attempting to tell you what he decided, but you keep jumping to conclusions, preventing me from easing the suspense."

"I'm sorry. Go ahead."

"He wants us to admit to Sweets that he was correct when he suggested we have a surrogate relationship and accept whatever form of therapy Sweets devises. Booth believes it to be the only way that we can maintain our partnership as it is and still create the possibility for individual lives."

There was a long silence as Angela contemplated the information. "So… he wants to keep your relationship as it is and still date other people."

"Yes."

Angela laughed. "Oh, that sweet, naïve man. He's so cute."

Brennan turned her head to look at her friend and received her own gentle reprimand. "Angie, I don't understand your amusement."

"Listen, Sweetie, Booth is right on track when he thinks there's something about his relationship with you that's holding him back from dating. He's just got the reasoning all wrong." She laughed again. "The idea that he could find a woman that is just ok with how he feels about… never mind, I'm saying too much. Look, Bren, I still think you need to figure this whole Booth mess out for yourself as much as possible, but I will give you a hint, ok?"

"Ok." Brennan agreed slowly.

"Again, it's a matter of practicality. If you're looking for a rare flower and you want it more than anything else in the world, and you have the seed that the flower comes from in your hand, why would you go searching all over the world just to find one that's already bloomed? Why not just wait for the seed to grow?"

Brennan ignored the fussing from the woman at her feet as she propped herself up on her elbows to look at her friend. "Angela, how can you change the subject when I'm attempting to discuss something serious with you? I am very concerned about the new light Booth has shed on my relationship with him and I would appreciate your support right now."

Angela laughed. "Bren, Sweetie, that was me being supportive. It's a metaphor. Just think about it, ok? And in the meantime, go to Sweets. Talk to him about it."

"You think I should go?" Brennan frowned. "But I hate psychology and I'm not even completely convinced that Booth is correct in his assumptions about our relationship."

"But you love Booth. And it's important to him."

"I do not love Booth, Angela."

"Of course you do, Sweetie. We all do, but especially you. And he loves you too. So you guys need to work this out."

Brennan sighed and leaned back. "I don't understand. I don't know how Booth and I arrived at this point."

"I know you don't, Bren. But you'll figure it out and it'll be a relief for all of us." Angela let out a contented groan. "Wow, who knew a foot massage could feel like this? Could I get a guy to do this? Like a really tall, gorgeous, brooding man with rippling muscles and a killer smile…"

~B/B~

**Thanks for reading guys! I was a little nervous about this chapter so if you were to leave me a review it would really and truly make my whole day and inspire me to keep churning out the chapters. **

**Oh, and make sure to remember Sweet's ulterior motives for the future chapters. He's such a B/B shipper... do you really think he'll give them genuine tips on how to distance themselves from each other? ;-)  
**

**You guys are the best! XOXO  
**


	6. The Commitment in the Session UPDATED

**PLEASE READ: To all of you who were very confused to find an alert from me for this story only to read a chapter that didn't fit it at all, I am SO sorry. This is what I get for trying to squeeze in a post before going to bed and hitting buttons in a stupor. I really do apologize and I hope you weren't too confused and I hope you're still around! The chapter that I uploaded was from The Love in the Return. This is now the correct version of Chapter Six for this story. I hope you read and enjoy and can figure out what is going on. Disregard _everything_ from the chapter I uploaded earlier. Thanks guys!**

**A/N**: **Good evening/morning! =) Thank you guys so much for the reviews for last chapter. They were all encouraging and wonderful and very much appreciated! That being said, the number of reviews are is slowly getting smaller, so to those of you who are reading but not reviewing, I am here to shamelessly beg you to let me know you're around. (You can't see, but I'm on my knees ;-) You really have no idea how much it means to me to hear from you. And again, to all of you who left reviews last time, thank you so much. It makes my whole day. =)**

**Anyway, on to Chapter 6 and the lovely Lance Sweets! =) He plays a big role in this chapter and I hope you guys like his sneaky side since this is the beginning of many scenes with him. **

**I would like to thank my beta, Hannah Taylor1, for taking time off of her vacation to look this over for me. Isn't she wonderful? Go tell her she's wonderful! Also, when she gets back and posts her chapter, you guys should all read it. I had a little sneak peak of it and it's Ah-may-zing. =) **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Bones. Still!  
**

~B/B~

Monday 7:31

He leaned his shoulder on the doorjamb of her office, watching as she moved purposefully around the space, arranging her day in her head as she arranged her paperwork on her desk. He was silent, but only a moment passed before she glanced up, sensing that he was watching her.

Smiling, he held up the paper bag in his hand and took a step forward. "Brought you a bagel."

She blinked at him, straightening up. "Good morning, Booth."

"Hey." Walking forward, he set the bag down on her desk. "Did you and Angela have fun at the spa?"

She nodded. "Yes, it was very relaxing. And the health benefits advertised were surprisingly accurate."

Reaching out, he brushed the back of his fingers over her cheek. "Yeah, I can see a difference. Your skin is all soft and glowing and stuff. It's nice."

"My skin isn't actually glowing, Booth. It's simply clearer and healthier due to the exfoliation of lingering dead skin cells and the removal of chemicals and elements that clog the pores."

He wrinkled his nose. "And thanks for that, Bones. Now how are we going to stomach our breakfast?"

A small smile peeked at her lips. "For a man who prides himself on his strength and fortitude, you're awfully squeamish."

He rolled his eyes at her and opened the bag, pulling out her bagel and the sugar-free blackberry jelly that was her favorite. Opening the container, he slowly spread the jelly while she watched him silently. When he was done, he held it out to her, pulling it away when she reached for it.

"Did you decide?"

He knew she would know what he meant, so even when her face stayed blank he felt no need to explain himself.

"Bones? Did you decide?"

She sighed and reached for the bagel again, narrowing her eyes when he held it just barely out of her reach.

"You're bribing me with a bagel?" She raised her eyebrows. "My standards are somewhat higher than that, Booth."

Smiling resignedly, he handed her the bagel. "It's not a bribe. I just… need to know if you're gonna do this with me."

She nodded. "Yes. I will converse with you and Sweets on the subject of your issues regarding our partnership."

His smiled widened and he slung his arm around her shoulders, squeezing her tight. "Thanks, Bones. You're the best." Reaching into the bag, he pulled out the cream cheese pastry he had gotten for himself. "In fact, I'll even let you have a bite of my breakfast if you want. It tastes a heck of a lot better than yours."

"I do have stipulations, Booth." She told him as she held up a hand to wave off the pastry he offered her.

He eyed her cautiously. "Stipulations? What kind of stipulations?"

"Well, to begin with, neither of us are allowed to discuss our partnership with Sweets unless we are both present. I don't intend to be discussed beside my back."

"Behind. Behind your back, Bones. How can you mess that up?"

"Behind my back. Regardless of the proximal relationship to my back or any other part of my body, the stipulation remains. I will be present for all discussion of the perceived issue."

He nodded willingly. "Done. Is there more?"

"Yes. You stated that you wanted us to go through whatever therapy techniques Sweets derived for us. However, I want the power to veto any techniques that are either unsound or in any way unacceptable to me."

Frowning, he moved over to her couch and flopped down on it, taking a big bite of his breakfast. "I don't know, Bones." He mumbled around his food. "You pretty much think all of Sweets methods are unsound and unacceptable. The whole point of talking to him is to let him help."

She considered his point briefly before nodding. "I will concede that you are likely correct in assuming that I would feel the need to veto most if not all methods, if given the choice." She moved towards him and sat down next to him on the couch, her leg and shoulder brushing his companionably. "I propose a compromise. One similar to the arrangement I have with Dr. Saroyan. I will settle for three vetos that I may use at my discretion."

He shook his head. "Nope. Too many."

"Three is not too many."

"Uh, yeah. It is. Bones, the whole point is to do the therapy. One. You can have one veto. We each can." He raised his eyebrows as he took another bite. "One."

She looked at him for a long time before he saw the copulation in her eyes. "Very well, I will concede to one veto for each of us, but only because my knowledge of you suggests that you would object to the same methods I would object to, essentially giving me two vetos."

"I don't think it's going to be that bad, Bones. Sweets will probably just make us talk about our feelings and crap like that. It's not like he's gonna make us go out on a date with him again or something."

"I wouldn't object to going on a date if he did suggest it." Brennan said casually. "I was referring to more extreme methods. Such as requesting that we kiss."

Booth choked on his pastry. "What? Why would he want us to do that?" Hard coughs wracked his body as he struggled to clear his airway of the food he'd just sent shooting down it.

Brennan looked at him in surprise, sitting forward, her hands poised to rescue him if he appeared to have trouble recovering from his coughing fit.

"Bones, we're going to see Sweets so that he can give us better perspective on our partnership, not bring us closer than we already are." Booth finally managed to gasp.

Brennan pressed one hand to his back and the other to his shoulder, forcing him to sit up straighter to allow his airway to clear more easily. "I assume that if he asked us to kiss it would be to prove empirically that there was no sexual attraction between us."

"Oh." Booth nodded. "Right. But he wouldn't… would he?"

Shrugging, Brennan cautiously patted her partner's back once more before removing her hand. "Even if he did, either of us could veto it or we could simply remind him about the kiss inspired by Caroline's puckish moment. We obviously felt nothing then so there's no reason to assume we would feel anything if we kissed again."

He cleared his throat. "Right. Very logical, Bones."

She shrugged. "Of course."

The sat quietly for a moment and he glanced at her several times before asking, "Any more stipulations?"

"One." She finished chewing the last bite of her bagel and angled herself towards him before replying. "You and I must remain entirely honest with each other throughout this process, Booth. Each step of the way we will communicate about our reactions and our perspectives."

Smiling, he bumped his shoulder against hers. "Definitely, Bones. Wouldn't have it any other way."

~B/B~

Monday 3:04

Silence filled Lance Sweets' office as the psychologist and his two most interesting patients sat across from each other. As Sweets waited for one of them to tell him why they'd asked to see him early this week, he observed that Booth's eyes were flitting nervously around the room, resting everywhere but on him, while Dr. Brennan's gaze remained steadily on him.

When five full minutes of silence had passed, Sweets gave in and resigned himself to being the first to speak. "It's way cool that you guys were so eager to get in here this week." He smiled encouragingly at both of them. "Really great. I did think, though, that we would probably… talk at some point during the session." Both of his patients remained silent and he felt compelled to add, "If you wanted to. Talk, I mean."

Silence fell again, and he watched with interest as Brennan glanced over at her partner, drawing Booth's gaze to her. She leaned closer to him, and whispered much too loudly, "Booth, the sooner you confess your concerns to Sweets, the sooner we can get back to work. I was under the impression you wanted to talk to him."

"Ssshh." Booth admonished her. "Don't talk about my concerns where he can hear you, Bones. I'm still thinking."

Sweets' eyebrows raised slightly as Brennan reached over and laid a hand on Booth's arm. "Perhaps you would feel more comfortable if I explained the situation instead."

"Yeah, I don't think that would go all that well, Bones." Booth shook his head, but patted her hand with his own to ease his dismissal of her offer to help.

Deciding to interrupt their private conversation, something he was always a little hesitant to do, Sweets cleared his throat. "Guys, this is a truth zone, ok? A non-judgmental truth-zone. Whatever it is that's on your minds, we can talk about it."

Both partners glanced at him and then back at each other. Sweets watched as Brennan gave Booth an encouraging smile and pressed his arm with her fingers before letting go and sitting back. It must have been what Booth needed, because the agent leaned forward, steepling his fingers and looking Sweets right in the eye.

"Here's the thing, Sweets. Bones and I need a little help with our… partnership. A couple of things have come up recently and we realized you might be a little right about your…" Booth gave a slight cough and fidgeted for a moment, "About your surrogate relationship theory thingy. You know, what you said when Bones' boyfriends dumped her and we wouldn't let you go to dinner with us."

Over the past year, Sweets had grown accustomed to the various surprises that went along with providing therapy for two such unique people. In fact, he prided himself on the fact that almost nothing that left their mouths surprised him anymore. But hearing Booth say that they thought Sweets had been right about something, much less right about his surrogate relationship theory, shocked him into absolute silence.

"Uh, Sweets?" Booth prompted, raising his eyebrows. "We kinda figured you'd talk too."

Sweets shook his head. "Yeah, totally. I should… talk. Wow." He looked at Dr. Brennan, gaging her reaction and finding it to be one of acceptance and interest. "Wow. Ok, well… how did you both come to this conclusion exactly?"

The partners exchanged glances once again and somehow the decision was made that Brennan would take over. She folded her hands in her lap and began to explain.

"Well, you know that Booth was seeing someone. A woman named Ellen."

"Bones didn't like her." Booth interrupted.

Brennan shook her head. "I didn't dislike her, Booth. I didn't even know her. As we discussed, my reaction to her presence was based on irrational feelings rather than rational factors such as her personality."

"Right. So Bones wouldn't have liked her no matter what."

"No, Booth…"

Sweets held up a hand, intent on stopping the argument before it got out of hand. "Dr. Brennan, maybe you could just hop on over to the next part of the story. For the sake of time."

Nodding, Brennan continued, "Yes, as I was saying. Booth was seeing Ellen and we both felt an undesirable strain on our partnership as a result of his interactions with her. Booth assures me that I was cold and distant towards him and he in turn made less time for our work and the activities we have become accustomed to engaging in outside of work."

Sweets reigned in the smile that wanted to break out over his face as he listened to Dr. Brennan's clinical description of the jealousy and loneliness neither of them understood. Keeping a carefully interested expression on his face, Sweets nodded.

"Agent Booth, are you still seeing Ellen?"

Booth shook his head. "Nope. I ended things with her over the weekend."

Sweets felt a rush of excitement as he recognized the direction the conversation was heading in. "And why do you feel you ended your relationship with her?"

Booth let out a sigh. "Look, Sweets, don't get all cocky. I can see you getting cocky. It was because of Bones, alright? But not in a weird way. Just in a… we're partners and that's most important kind of way."

Nodding, Sweets leaned forward. "Just to be clear. You were dating a chick… a woman, I mean, and things were going great between you, but because Dr. Brennan didn't like you spending less time with her, you ended the relationship with the other woman. Is that pretty much what happened?"

"Yes." Brennan affirmed as her partner simultaneously denied the statement.

"What? No, don't say it like that, Sweets. It makes it sound all… never mind. It just sounds wrong." Booth's leg began to bounce as he fidgeted on the couch. "It's not like that."

"Then, please, tell me what it's like."

Booth shrugged. "It's like you said. We've got a surrogate relationship going on and it makes it hard for us to let other people in. Bones doesn't like who I date and I don't like who she dates and we're just a whole lot more comfortable when it's just us hanging out."

The rush of excitement hit Sweets yet again and he focused on maintaining a professional demeanor. "Dr. Brennan, do you agree?"

Brennan was more cautious with her responses. "I agree that there was a definitive level of discomfort and resentment present when Booth was dating and I agree with Booth's assessment that we are both possessive of and comfortable with each other to the point that we have created an exclusive relationship."

Sweets nodded. "Ok. So basically you two are on the same page. That's an awesome place to start. Now we just need to determine if this realization is a problem for either of you."

Booth sat up straighter, a surprised expression on his features. "Well, yeah, it's a problem for us, Sweets. I mean, geez, what are we supposed to do? Just be partners forever? That's not gonna work. We both want to be able to do our own thing, right Bones?"

"That is correct. Booth would like to try and fail at marriage and I would like to be free to date casually without Booth's interference."

"Ok, Bones, can you not just leave out that whole "try and fail" part sometimes when you talk about me getting married? I'm not going to try and fail. When I get married, that's it. It's for life. Ok?" Booth sent his partner a look of frustration and awareness immediately leapt into her eyes.

"I don't mean to offend you, Booth."

"Yeah, well, then don't say it like that."

Once again, Sweets interrupted their argument."So what are you guys looking for then? You don't want this surrogate relationship, then what do you want? New partners?" His suggestion was meant to instigate a reaction, and his technique worked wonders as both partners reacted strongly in their different ways.

"No!" Booth said immediately, his voice too loud.

"Of course not." Brennan sniffed dismissively, derision evident in her face. "Don't be ridiculous."

"We want you to fix us." Booth insisted, leaning forward again. "Just do your therapy stuff and fix us so that we can stay partners and friends and still have our own personal lives too. That's all, Sweets. You can handle that, can't you?"

No one could handle that. It was an impossible demand. "You want your relationship to stay as it is, but at the same time you want to be comfortable with each other dating?"

"Exactly. Now he gets it, Bones." Booth sent his partner a grin. "Told ya this would work."

As the partners debated the implications of Booth telling Brennan that therapy would work and whether or not she had believed him, Sweets contemplated the situation before him. His star patients were making progress, even if they didn't realize it. After a year of denying how close their relationship really was, they were finally admitting the reality of their situation and attempting to do something about it. The only problem was they were doing the wrong thing about it.

He had the utmost respect for Dr. Brennan's intellect and Agent Booth's instincts but both of those traits were failing them now as they seemed to firmly believe that, with a little therapy, they could maintain what they had together and yet separate from each other enough to pursue other relationships as well.

What they wanted just wasn't possible. He knew that. Anyone else would know that. It was just the two of them that couldn't see it.

He'd have to show them, step by step, holding their hands the whole way through until they finally understood that it wasn't some strange feeling of possession that kept them so tied to each other. It was the love they were denying they had for each other.

It would be so wicked if he could come up with a therapy regiment that let them think he was giving them what they wanted, when in actuality he was giving them what they needed. He'd bring them together, solidify their relationship, and study each step of the process along the way. The book would be huge and he'd be famous.

Slowly tuning back into his patient's discussion, he smiled. And they'd be happy. The two most important members of his work family would find completion in each other.

If he could pull this off.

"Bones, would you just let it go already?" Booth was saying his tone exasperated.

Sweets decided not to probe into whatever it was they had been talking about, and simply jumped in with his decision. "Guys, I'll do it. I will fix you."

"What?" Both partners turned to him. "Oh, yeah." Booth shook his head, re-focusing himself. "You'll do it?"

"I will. I will improve your relationship to allow you to have romance in your lives." His carefully worded response slipped past both of his patients' radar. "But you will have to cooperate completely with the therapy program I design."

"Definitely." Booth agreed as he slid closer to Brennan and bumped her shoulder with his, grinning at her with the joy of success written all over his face. Their argument of a mere two minutes ago was apparently long forgotten.

"Thank you, Sweets." Brennan smiled at him. "While your methods will undoubtedly be questionable, I am sure that there will be some small measure of improvement in our interactions, and at the very least, Booth will be pacified. So we appreciate your help."

Sweets blinked at her. "Dr. Brennan, do you remember when we talked about editing your speech? Saying things to yourself before you say them out loud?"

"Yes." She said easily. "I remember we have discussed that several times."

"Yeah." Sweets shook his head. "Never mind. I'm going to need some time to come up with a structure for our therapy, but I do know a few things right now. For instance, we will need to increase our meetings to three times a week."

"Aw, Sweets, come on. That's insane." Booth protested.

"That's what we need to do." Sweets insisted. "You'll both need to be present for each session and you'll also need to be prepared with the assignments I assign. You'll likely be doing a lot of work together outside of our sessions as well."

Booth groaned. "Geez, Bones, we're back in school."

"This was your suggestion, Booth." Brennan reminded him. "Besides, homework is not such a terrible thing. In fact, it can be quite amusing if viewed with the right attitude."

"I don't have the right attitude." Booth mumbled.

"If I could continue…" Sweets interrupted. "The only other thing I know for right now is that you'll both need to take a week of vacation time and visit separate cities. Or one of you can stay here and the other can leave. As long as you're not in the same city where you could break the rules and see each other."

"What?" Booth demanded, standing up. "No way."

"There can't be any phone conversations, or texting or email or tweeting or any form of communication during the week either." Sweets went on, leaning back slightly when Booth towered over him. "Agent Booth, please, sit down. You're intimidation tactics are not going to work." Sweets flinched as Booth took a step nearer.

"I will not sit down." Booth fumed. "Separate vacations, Sweets? That's insane. Not happening. We have jobs, you know. Lives. We can't just pick up and leave. Bones, back me up here."

"Veto." Brennan said calmly.

Booth grinned with the sudden realization. "Ha! Yes! Veto. She vetoed you, Sweets. Too bad for you." Booth sat back down, sliding his hand over his tie, lifting his eyebrows cockily. "Gotcha."

Confused, Sweets frowned. "Veto? You can't veto me, Dr. Brennan. I'm pretty sure I'm the qualified psychologist here."

"I'm very sure of that." Brennan agreed.

"Which means I get to make the decisions."

"Actually, there is a slight stipulation to that statement. Booth and I decided before we came that we would each get one veto to use at our discretion."

"Yep. We decided." Booth chimed in.

"Well that's… not fair." Sweets finished his sentence more pathetically than he intended. "You can't just decide stuff like that. Dr. Brennan, this vacation is an important step in the process."

Brennan frowned. "If you can provide evidence to back up that statement, I will reconsider."

"I don't guess you'd go for me being the only qualified psychologist as evidence… no. Ok. Well, how about the fact that you and Agent Booth spend all of your time together and therefore have allowed your relationship to become muddled with bad habits. Bad habits that you want to eliminate and that will be easier to eliminate if you're forced to be apart. Bad habits such as eating every meal together or talking every evening."

"We don't eat every meal together." Booth grumbled.

"Regardless, Dr. Brennan, you see my point. Time apart will allow you to logically and carefully assess your state of mind without the confusion of seeing each other every day." Sweets held his breath, hoping that she wouldn't continue to resist him. The trip was essential to laying the foundation of the therapy. They had to realize how much they had come to depend on and value each others' company.

Brennan was nodding. "Yes, I can see the rationality of that explanation. Very well, I will rescind my veto."

"Bones, don't do that…" Booth let out a sigh. "Come on, what am I going to do on a vacation by myself?"

"I assume contemplate not returning, as you said you usually do on a vacation."

"Ok, Bones, some things we just don't say in front of Sweets. Like my fantasies about running away from life."

"Those fantasies are completely normal." Sweets assured him. "Everyone has them."

"I don't." Brennan frowned. "I never have those fantasies.

"Yeah, well… I said they were normal fantasies."

"Watch it, Sweets." Booth growled.

Clearing his throat, Sweets attempted to get back on track. "You should try to take your vacations as soon as possible. You can communicate with any of your friends and family members, just not with each other. Also, any… uh, romantic activity is prohibited on the vacation."

"Why?" Brennan asked.

"Because, it's supposed to be cleansing, not confusing."

"Sexual intercourse with a stranger isn't confusing. In fact, it can be quite liberating and refreshing."

"And that's enough, Bones. He said no sex. So no sex. No flirting or kissing either, by the way." Booth gave her a look. "Think you can handle that?"

"Of course. I just don't see the point."

"Yeah well, we do, don't we, Sweets?"

Sweets hid his smile. "Yeah. Right. Anyways, you'll go on your trips, and while you're gone I will create a therapy program for you that I will be able to present to you when you get back. So we'll need to meet right after you get home. In fact, I don't want either of you to see each other until our appointment. We'll have like a little reunion session."

"Sweets… I don't know…" Booth made a face and a last ditch effort. "This is starting to sound like more than we bargained for. I mean, we have a case."

"So go when you finish it. That's not a problem. Agent Booth, you're either committed to this or you're not."

Booth looked over at Brennan and Sweets watched as they conversed silently. Mere seconds passed before Booth nodded and turned back to Sweets. "Yeah, we're committed. We'll go on the stupid vacations. Play by your stupid rules."

"Awesome." Sweets stood up with a smile. "Then this session is over. I'll see you both when you get back from your super cool vacations. And guys, I am totally stoked about this."

~B/B~

**Let me just assure you that I'm not going to be writing about their separate vacations much at all. Next chapter will pick up pretty much with the happy reunion in Sweets' office, followed by a very interesting request from our favorite psychologist. So don't worry that the next five chapters are going to have B/B separated. That wouldn't be any fun for you or for me. **

**Ok, guys, I really, really hope you liked it and I really, _really_ hope you'll let me know if you did! =) That review button is calling your name... I can hear it all the way from over here. ;-)  
**


	7. The Goals in the Return

**A/N: Hi guys! Thank you all so much for the reviews for last chapter. They've really increased and I appreciate it so much! =) I hope you enjoy this chapter as well. It does deal a little bit with their vacations but then moves on to their reunion and a short Sweets session. The next few chapters will really allow their therapy to take off and will bring in lots of interactions with all the characters. So stick around! =)**

**LOL for all of you who pointed out the capitulation/copulation mishap last chapter, Thank you! Talk about a Freudian slip. ;-) **

**Thank you to Hannah Taylor1 for reading this multiple times and all her encouragement. Make sure you read Problem Solving, The Booth and Brennan Way. Not a story you want to miss! **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Bones...  
**

~B/B~

Thursday 3:13

Booth, wearing only his navy blue swim trunks, stretched his long body out in a lounge chair and rested his head on his arms, closing his eyes. It was late afternoon and the sun was beating down, spreading a powerful warmth over his bare skin. He ran a hand over his chest, vaguely wondering if he had put on suntan lotion before venturing out to the beach.

Several long moments passed and he was nearly asleep when a couple wandered by, arguing loudly. He listened as the woman berated the man beside her for daring to look at the group of attractive, bikini-clad women further down the beach. The man stuttered his apologies and excuses, making Booth cringe in sympathy for the poor guy.

In his head, Booth heard the running commentary he was sure his partner would be spouting if she was present.

_I don't understand. It's perfectly natural for people to appreciate physical symmetry and beauty. Surely she cannot expect that he would never find another woman attractive. _

_See, Booth? This is why committed relationships don't work. He obviously has needs that she is not fulfilling. _

The familiar cadence of her speech, imaginary as it was, made him smile, then sigh. He'd been on vacation for five days and he was getting tired of the constant battle going on in his head. He was supposed to be spending time away from Brennan and as stupid as he thought Sweets' idea about spending time apart was, he'd committed to it. So it was frustrating that he kept hearing her everywhere he went. It had become so bad at the restaurant he'd eaten lunch at, that he'd actually turned to the empty seat beside him to address her.

Reaching down, he picked his phone up off his towel and toyed with it.

He was just used to her being around, that's all. He was hearing her lectures and her questions in his head because somehow over the past four years the more frustrating things about her had become familiar and comfortable, welcome even. It was a perfectly reasonable situation.

He flipped his phone open.

Talking to her would probably fix his problem. Asking how she was doing, what she was doing would probably allow him to just… what was it she always said? Compartmentalize her. That was it. He would just talk to her and then compartmentalize her away for the rest of his vacation.

He started to press her speed dial number, then hesitated, cursing his compulsion to keep any and all rules.

He wasn't supposed to call her, but… a text. That wasn't so bad. He could text her. It wasn't really like talking to her. More like leaving her a message. Surely Sweets wouldn't have a problem with one little text. Maybe two.

That was probably fine.

~B/B~

Thursday 3:27

Brennan ran her fingers lightly over the remains before her, noting in the back of her occupied mind that her partner would disapprove of the way she had been spending her time over the past five days. She had assured him before she had left that she would actually take time off of work during their enforced time apart, but the moment she had arrived at the Phoenix airport she had been recognized and pulled into a case.

But she was enjoying the work, and, in her opinion, was balancing it quite well with relaxation. She'd taken a guided trip out in the desert just the day before and spent nearly every evening sitting beside the pool at her hotel and working on her book. There was a young couple who were often at the pool when she arrived and the man reminded her of Booth. He was strong and imposing, but playful as well. His wife seemed to be quite invested in him and their behaviors were fascinating to observe.

More than once she had wished Booth was there with her to discuss her observations and help her better understand them. She understood that desire, but it did puzzle her that she missed his presence while on her hike. It was the sort of thing he would have hated and she could imagine him complaining about the heat or about the pointlessness of finding the various specimens she had delighted in. She always found his complaining frustrating, and yet there had definitely been something lacking from the experience without him there.

Not that any of that mattered. It was useless to dwell on a scenario that was impossible and she'd simply decided to enjoy herself as much as possible and make copious notes to go over with Booth when she returned.

Refocusing on the bones she was studying, she threw herself in to the work. She was so intent, in fact, that she nearly didn't hear her phone give off the unfamiliar sound that indicated she had received a text message.

Puzzled, she pulled out her phone and found Booth's message staring back at her.

_Hey Bones! Having fun? I'm getting insanely tan and having a great time relaxing. Miss you though. How weird is this?_

She felt a strange feeling deep in the pit of her stomach, and a smile spread over her face as she re-read his words. She hadn't realized quite how much she missed him until she heard from him, and yet she felt the need to reprimand him for breaking the rules.

Biting her lip, she decided a return text was appropriate if its purpose was solely to remind him not to contact her. And if she included that she too missed their interactions, it would be excusable under the circumstances.

_Booth, we are not supposed to communicate, remember? You shouldn't rebel against Sweet's rules after assuring him you wouldn't. I am enjoying my time here and I miss your companionship as well. I am not sure what your last question refers to. If it is important, please provide more information so that I can properly reply. _

She sent the text and returned to her work, a slight smile still on her face. Mere seconds later, her phone indicated another text had come in.

_That must have taken you forever to type. Use small words. Goes faster that way. You're such a stickler, Bones. You're right. I know. But I miss talking to you. No one talks like you. I'll behave. See you soon. Forget the last question. I'll explain later. Stay safe, ok?_

The same fluttering sensation in her stomach returned and she made a note to ask him about the implications of that later. Grinning, she bit her lip and sent him one last return text.

_I am being safe. Enjoy yourself and do not worry. I look forward to seeing you soon._

~B/B~

Saturday 6:56

Booth could see her crossing the Hoover building parking lot as he pulled his car into his usual spot and smiled at the familiarity of her gait, her hair blowing in the wind. He noted that her skin was as pale as ever and figured she had spent her entire vacation inside somewhere, most likely working. He would get on to her about it later, but right now he just wanted to see her again. This week apart stuff was for the dogs.

Turning off the car and throwing his door open, he called after her, "Bones! Hey, Bones, hold on!"

She turned at the sound of her voice and he watched as her smile lit her face. She took a step towards him, then hesitated and shook her head, surprising him by turning right back around and heading inside. If he hadn't been so busy catching up to her, he would have laughed at her rigid insistence on following Sweets' rules.

Quickening his pace, he moved behind her and slid his arms around her waist, tugging her to him as he spun her once around. "Bones, you're not running away from me, are you?"

She let out a surprised noise and squirmed in his arms until he set her down. "Booth!" She gasped as she turned around, her smile still firmly in place. "We are not supposed to see each other until we are back in Sweets's office. We agreed."

He shrugged. "Eh, so what, Bones? So we accidentally met up in the parking lot. Not our fault." Taking her hands he held out her arms and surveyed her. "You look thinner. Did you eat at all this week?"

"Of course." She insisted, pulling her hands back. "You know, I ate on a regular basis for years before I met you, Booth."

"Yeah, but you didn't have as much fun doing it." He grinned at her. "Geez, it's good to be back, Bones. I was starting to go crazy all by myself, beach or no beach."

"You do look quite tan." She stepped closer, her eyes sweeping lingeringly over his face. "It suits your coloring very well."

Chuckling, he chucked her under her upturned chin. "Thanks, Bones. You look hot too."

She rolled her eyes at him and he felt a surge of affection for her that had him pulling her in for a tight hug. She surprised him by not protesting in the slightest, instead burrowing into his chest and laying her head on his shoulder. Smiling, he pressed a kiss against her hair and released her, looking down into her face.

"I missed you, Bones." He confessed.

"I too was regretful of your absense, Booth. I have a great deal to discuss with you. Perhaps when our session is over we could have dinner?"

"Sure." He tucked her hand into the crook of her arm and started to guide her inside. "But let's go to the diner. If we go back to my place I'll be forced to acknowledge all the laundry I have to get done."

She frowned. "That's illogical, Booth. The laundry will remain, whether or not you acknowledge about it. It's better to address the problem instead of trying to ignore it."

He laughed and nudged her through the door he was holding open for her. "And there we go. That's what I missed, Bones."

~B/B~

Saturday 7:03

"So you two just happened to meet in the parking lot?" Sweets asked skeptically as the partners settled into the couch across from him.

"Yeah, Sweets, it's not like we had some underhanded plan or something." Booth scoffed, bumping Brennan to include her in the joke. "Besides, what's the big deal? We meet up here, we meet up there. What difference does it make?"

"Well now I can't observe your reunion." Sweets pouted slightly. "As your therapist I have to be there for those important moments so that I can take note of your interactions.

"There is no need to be concerned, Sweets. Nothing important took place." Brennan gave Booth a look as he rolled his eyes and let out a huff. "Booth and I greeted each other, expressed our mutual relief to have returned home, and Booth complimented my physical appearance." She shrugged. "Then we came straight here."

Sweets raised his eyebrows. "Complimented your physical appearance?"

"I was just kidding around." Booth said quickly, holding up a hand to stave off whatever comment Sweets was about to make. "Bones said my tan looked good and I told her she looked good too. That's all."

"You were kidding?" Brennan turned to her partner.

"What?" Booth looked flustered. "No… Bones, you look beautiful, of course. I didn't mean that. I just… you know, didn't want Sweets to get all weird about it." He lowered his voice. "Can we talk about this later?"

"At dinner?"

"Sure, Bones, at dinner."

"You're having dinner?" Sweets interjected. "Did you decide that in the parking lot too?"

"Yes." Brennan volunteered. "We did."

Sweets let out a frustrated breath. "Ok, guys, before we get to what I had planned for this first session, I think there's a something we need to have a rap session about."

Brennan frowned. "Is that strictly necessary? While I enjoy rap music and the culture associated with it, I don't believe I would skilled at participating in either. I admire the spontaneously rhythmic nature, however, and wouldn't mind listening." She looked over at Booth and frowned. "Though I must confess I do not see the connection between therapy and rap music."

Booth let out a loud laugh. "Bones, rap session is middle school speak for having a discussion. Sweets means he wants to talk to us about something."

"Oh." Brennan's brow furrowed. "That seems like an unnecessarily unclear phrasing of the suggestion, but I'm much more willing to participate now. Please continue, Sweets."

Shaking his head, Sweets leaned forward. "I don't get the feeling that you guys are really committed to this. You came to me for help, but so far all you've really done is complain about my methods. My time-tested methods, by the way. So before we go any further you need to wrap your minds around what we're doing here and really devote yourselves to working out this interpersonal issue you have."

"Are we committed, Bones?" Booth looked at his partner and waited patiently as she thought over his question.

"Do you still believe we have a problem?" She asked him after a moment.

He looked down at his hands and shrugged. "Do you?"

"This was your idea from the beginning, Booth."

"Yeah, I know." He looked back up at her. "Maybe I overreacted, though. You think? I mean, maybe we both just overreacted to the whole thing and this is just a waste of time. We're friends, Bones. Of course friends want to spend time together."

"I agree. That seems… quite reasonable."

"Ok, see, this is the problem." Sweets interjected. "Neither of you are really convinced you need therapy."

"Well maybe we don't." Booth shrugged. "I mean, what's so wrong with how we are now? We like to be together. Good for us."

Sweets leaned further forward, intent on not losing the best opportunity that he'd come across since beginning therapy with the partners. "Alright, Agent Booth, I want you to be honest. While you were away, how much did you think about Dr. Brennan?"

Booth's eyes widened and he shifted uncomfortably. "I don't know, Sweets. What kind of a question is that?"

"Give it your best guess. How much was she on your mind?"

"We're partners. We're used to spending a lot of time together. It's completely normal that I would think about her even though she wasn't around." Booth glanced over at Brennan and found her staring back at him.

Sweets nodded. "Sure. So you were on a beach, on vacation, and you spent… most of your time thinking about Dr. Brennan?"

Booth sat forward, fumbling for his poker chip in his pocket. "What?No… not most of my time. Maybe sometimes… I would occasionally… I mean, yeah, she crossed my mind but…"

"Sweets, please begin a different line of questioning." Brennan interrupted her partner's stammering. "Booth is uncomfortable with the direction you've taken our rapping session."

"Bones, it's a rap session." Booth muttered to her under his breath.

Sweets turned to Brennan. "Very well, Dr. Brennan, why don't you answer the question. How much time did you spend thinking about Agent Booth?"

Unlike Booth, Brennan remained calm, carefully thinking over her words before speaking. "I did often think of Booth while I was away. I found that I required his presence in order to explain nuances of social behavior to me and I also found that I missed his company on both the case that I was working on and on a more personal level. In fact, I believe it would be most truthful to say that I thought of him much more than I that I would."

Booth looked over at Brennan and smiled. "Yeah, Bones?"

"Yes." She smiled back at him. "I enjoy your presence."

"Bones, that's really…" He trailed off and scooted closer to her so that her arm was brushing his. "I enjoy being with you too, ya know."

Sweets cleared his throat, drawing the partner's attention back to him. "And while you two were thinking about each other, did either of you contact or attempt to contact the other?"

A guilty look flashed over Booth's face and he considered lying, but knew Brennan wouldn't let him get away with it. "I texted Bones." He muttered, giving his therapist a look. "Don't tell me. That's very interesting."

"He texted me twice." Brennan corrected.

"Thanks, Bones."

"Yeah, it is very interesting." Sweets said. "It proves that you two can't go even one week without talking. Agent Booth, who else did you talk to while you were gone?"

Booth frowned. "I talked to Parker once or twice."

"Is that all?"

"Besides Bones, yeah."

"And Dr. Brennan, what about you?"

"I didn't talk to anyone else."

Sweets sat back, a satisfied look on his face. "See there. That proves my theory. You two can't stand being apart for any length of time. Agent Booth, how will your future wife feel about that? Dr. Brennan, how will that fit into your future plans?"

Booth looked at Brennan. "Bones… maybe…"

She nodded. "We need to restructure our relationship. I understand. I knew that from the beginning."

"Yeah." He sighed and nodded to Sweets. "Fine. We're committed, Sweets. Fix us on up."

"Good." Sweets grin spread over his face. "I was totally hoping you'd say that because I have spent all week working on this and I have a ton of great stuff for us to do. But first, I think I should explain my theories."

"Explain away." Booth waved his hand. "We're all ears."

"Over the past four years, you have both come to consider the other as the ideal version of the opposite sex. Dr. Brennan, Booth is your deal man and Agent Booth, Dr. Brennan is your ideal woman. You're each other's standards and you measure all other relationships to the one you share. That kind of exclusivity has created a situation in which neither of you are willing to step outside of your relationship and pursue others, even if the other relationships are more in-line with what you think you want."

Sweets looked between the two silent partners, waiting. When he received no response, his mood deflated. "You guys aren't buying it are you?"

"We don't understand it, Sweets." Booth corrected, his leg beginning to bounce. "Speak a language other than psychobabble."

"No, Booth, I understand." Brennan cut in before Sweets could rephrase. "Sweets is only stating what you have said all along. Our fondness for each other precludes our fondness for others. You compare the other women in your life to me and I compare the men in my life to you."

"Oh." Booth stared at her. "Do you do that, Bones?"

She nodded. "I suppose that I have done that, yes. You are a good man, Booth and sometimes your positive attributes highlight lacking attributes in others."

"Thank you, Dr. Brennan." Sweets said in surprise. "I really appreciate you backing me up."

Brennan shrugged. "You're welcome, but it was a relatively elementary observation, Sweets. It seems natural and obvious that Booth and I would engage in that type of behavior."

Sweets sighed. "And the compliment turns into a total diss. I should be used to that by now." Shaking his head, he directed them back to the subject at hand. "As I was saying, I believe that is what is taking place, and I believe that, together, we can transform your relationship into something that both of you will be much happier with."

"Fine." Booth flipped his poker chip up in the air and caught it. "We're starving, Sweets, so just give us the facts. What do we need to do?"

"Well, to begin with, we need to get your goals written down on paper. So each of you need to spend some time this weekend thinking about what you want for yourselves over the next few years. Things that are important for you to accomplish. I'll want to see three goals from each of you."

Booth leaned his head back on the couch. "Sweets, you're killing me here."

"It is important to set the groundwork, Agent Booth. These beginning steps are important. Now in addition to your own goals, you'll need to come up with goals for your partnership as well. Three of them. So that's nine goals in total… three from you, three from Dr. Brennan, three from…"

"We get it." Booth held up a hand. "We'll write down the goals. Right, Bones?"

"I suppose so considering using my veto at this point would be preemptive."

"Yeah, seems like it's gonna get worse from here." Booth grinned. "Hey, Sweets, how do you feel about me having the smart kid do my homework for me?"

Sweets laughed, but his chuckling stuttered to a stop. "Wait, seriously? Cause that's not cool."

"Don't worry, Sweets." Brennan said drolly. "No one ever persuaded me to do their homework in high school or college, I doubt Booth could manage it." She sent her partner a cocky look. "It is impossible to manipulate me."

Booth chuckled. "Yeah, you're savvy that way, Bones." Reaching over, he patted her knee. "Come on, bell just rang, last period's over. Time to ditch this place."

"I don't know what that means."

Booth stood up and gestured at her to do the same. "It means we're going to the diner, Bones. It means we're gonna catch up on our vacations and talk about stuff. And you're going to do my homework for me."

Brennan stood and frowned at him. "Booth, I was serious. I won't write down your goals for you."

"Aw, come on, Bones. Who knows my goals better than you?" He nudged her shoulder, scooting her closer to the door.

"Hopefully you do."

"Ok, who knows my goals better and is someone who is actually going to take the time to write them down?"

"Booth…"

Booth opened the door for her and ushered her out.

"Uh, guys? I wasn't really done." Sweets stared after his patients. "We still have a lot of time left in our session. We need to make an appointment for Monday."

Glancing over his shoulder, Booth sent Sweets a quick wave before he let the door close behind him.

"Alright, I'll just… call you. We'll set up a time later." Sweets sighed and collapsed back against his chair. "Someday I'm going to be in charge of these sessions. And then I'll get a raise."

~B/B~

**We'll see less of Sweets next chapter and more B/B alone time plus a little Angela time. Hope you guys liked this short little session and their reunion. I'd love it if reviews kept coming in like they did for the last chapter. I really can't tell you how much I appreciate hearing from you! **

**Thanks for reading! =)  
**


	8. The Realization in the Writing

**A/N: Hello again! See? I told you I'd post by today. Ok, so technically it's very early Monday morning, but just barely. Let's just call it Sunday night. ;-) A HUGE thank you to all of you who are reviewing this story. I really do appreciate you! And I promise to respond to each of you individually as soon as I get finished posting. I just figured you'd rather have the chapter first instead of waiting around for me to reply to everyone. =) **

**As a consolation prize for having to wait a little longer for me to update, this chapter is significantly longer than the others have been so far. Please give feedback on chapter length if you have a preference. Long chapters less often or shorter chapters more often?**

**Thank you to Hannah Taylor1 who beta-ed this chapter and gave a great deal of insightful feedback that greatly improved this for all of you. =) Please check out her story, Problem Solving, The Booth and Brennan Way. I know I say that every time, but it's because you really are missing out if you're not reading it. =)**

**Disclaimer: Don't own Bones!  
**

~B/B~

Saturday 7:26

"You know, Booth, you should be nicer to Sweets." Brennan lectured as they crossed the Hoover parking lot, heading for his truck. "After all, he has agreed to more intensive therapy with us willingly. I'm sure it has and will continue to cause him an increase in his workload."

"Nicer?" Booth looked at her in surprise. "I was nice! Hey, I agreed to write down my goals, Bones. That's pretty nice if you ask me."

She gave him a look. "That session lasted all of twenty minutes Booth and we walked out while Sweets was still attempting to explain his theories."

"Yeah, well, I was hungry." Booth stated as though that could excuse any behavior. "Besides, Bones, did you really want to sit there and listen to him explain his complicated conclusions anymore? Cause I didn't."

Brennan stopped and frowned at him. "I was under the impression that we decided to engage in therapy for the precise reason of hearing Sweets' theories."

Booth looked at his partner and let out a sigh. "Do you want us to go back in there or something? Is that what you're telling me here?"

"No." She said quickly. "I'm just curious about your seemingly flexible view of our therapy sessions. As Sweets pointed out, you seem to be vacillating between believing we need them and mocking Sweets' methods. You didn't appreciate the suggestion of separate vacations and now you're attempting to induce me to write your goals for you." She tilted her head, looking up at him inquisitively. "I don't understand."

Another sigh escaped him and he dragged his hand through his hair. "That makes two of us, Bones. Sometimes I think this is all one big waste of time and other times… well other times I don't. Haven't you ever believed two contradicting things at once before?"

She raised her eyebrows. "Never."

He chuckled and laid his palm on his cheek, shaking his head at her. "Of course not. Just… Bones, I'm glad we're doing this. I am. But I have to be able to find my own small ways to rebel against needing to do this. Call it a figurative striped sock."

"Why would I do that? I fail to see… oh. You said figuratively." She thought for a moment and he waited patiently. "So you walking out on a session early or threatening to cheat on our assignments is essentially the same as you wearing visually distracting socks or wildly patterned ties."

"Exactly." He bumped her arm with his fist. "Now you've got it, Bones."

She held up a hand, not finished with her thought. "So… that would indicate other similarities between your views on your employment and our therapy. Though you make small rebellions against your job, you inherently respect the government you work for and take great pride in your work. Which leads me to conclude that your metaphor indicates you have underlying respect for Sweets as a psychologist and for his overall methods."

He opened his mouth and began to speak, and then closed it. Shaking his head, again, he draped his arm around her shoulders. "Tell ya, what, Bones. Why don't you and metaphors take a break from each other for awhile? They're making you talk crazy."

~B/B~

Saturday 7:53

When the waitress had left their table to put in their orders, Booth picked up both of their menus and stuck them back in their place behind the condiments rack on the table. Looking around the small diner, he smiled, and when his gaze rested on his partner sitting across from him, that smile widened. "Ah, good to be back in this old place, isn't it, Bones?"

"I suppose so, yes." She was digging around in her purse and he watched with interest as she seemed to be trying to fit her entire arm inside it.

"Uh, whatcha doin' there?" He finally asked.

Suddenly smiling triumphantly, she pulled out two pens and placed them on top of the notepad she had already produced. Tearing him off a piece of paper, she presented it to him along with one of the pens.

"I don't see any reason to waste time. Sweets would like to see us again on Monday and it is already Saturday night. Obviously, I cannot speak for you, but I have a hectic day tomorrow. I need to ensure that the work I did on my book is ready to present to my publisher on Monday as well as complete research for a project I was asked to consult on, not to mention taking care of the more mundane, yet inevitable tasks created by returning home from a trip. Also, Angela was insistent upon seeing me tomorrow. Apparently her celibacy vow has made her more prone to boredom and she believes I can relieve her of her mundane routine."

He frowned at the paper she was pushing at him. "Bones… come on… we just got back home. I'm tired and hungry. I don't wanna work right now."

She pushed the paper at him again. "Booth, we made a commitment. We only need to work on our mutual goals at the moment. Our personal goals should be done separately."

He straightened up at that news. "What? Why? Sweets didn't say we had to work on the separately."

She seemed to think for a minute and he watched as her expression faded from utter confidence to uncertainty. "Perhaps he didn't." She conceded, then the confidence was back. "Nevertheless, I think that would be best. The differentiation between individual goals and mutual goals seems clear enough. Mutual goals should be written mutually and individual goals should be written individually."

He could hardly argue with that logic, so instead he opted for charming his way out of homework. "Not tonight, Bones..." He sent her his best charm smile. "Please? I haven't seen you in a week. Let's just talk, then I'll let you go home early so you can work on… whatever. Then tomorrow night we can work on goals. I'll come over to your place in the evening. I'll even bring the takeout and the beer."

Her eyes narrowed at his obvious attempt to cajole her into something that was not her idea. "Booth…"

He cut her off hurriedly, putting his most earnest look on his face. "Besides, Bones, we can't do this now. We haven't even had time to think. We need to go about this cautiously… carefully. Really make sure we know what we're doing."

Her eyes narrowed even further as she regarded him for a moment. "You're attempting to manipulate me."

He feigned shock. "Me? Bones! How can you even say that?"

A small grin touched the corners of her mouth. "I can say that the same way I can say anything. I simply use the syntactic combination of lexicals and names that have been created from various consonant and vowel combinations that make up the phonetics of our language."

"Ok. See now, you're just doing that on purpose. First you accuse me, then you try to bore me to death. What's next, Bones? What's next?"

She shrugged easily, taking a sip of her water. "Proper retaliation for your manipulation attempt, however unsuccessful."

"Unsuccessful, huh? That's just because it was half-hearted Bones. If I really wanted to manipulate you, you'd never even know what was happening."

"So you admit you were attempting to manipulate me?" She shot back at him, her grin full-fledged now.

"Half-heartedly." He pointed at her. "It was a half-hearted manipulation, Bones. Doesn't count."

"Perhaps one of our goals should be for you to work through the control issues tonight's manipulative tendencies demonstrate." She suggested, a wicked amusement in her eyes.

"Ha Ha Ha, Bones." He glared at her, though there was nothing but an easy fondness in his gaze. "Very funny. How about we don't give Sweets any more fuel than he's got already? How does that sound?"

"I have a proposition." She shifted gears quickly. "I will agree to your suggestion to procrastinate working on our mutual goals until tomorrow night on one condition. Before we meet we each have to have written out our individual goals after giving them much thought."

"Done." He agreed quickly.

"Good." She gave him a satisfied smile, leaning back as their waitress delivered their food. "I believe that round goes to me."

He looked at her in surprise, his hamburger paused in route to his mouth. "Hey, you used that phrase right. Way to go, Bones."

"Thank you." Her satisfied smile only grew more so. "Dr. Harrison taught it to me during my vacation."

Booth stopped chewing and narrowed his eyes at her. "Ms. Dr. Harrison?"

Confused, Brennan shook her head. "The use of two titles is redundant, Booth. And Dr. Harrison is a male and so would not be addressed as Ms."

"A guy? You met a guy on your trip?"

"He requested my assistance in identifying a set of remains." Realizing her mistake, Brennan backtracked. "It did not require much of my time. I had a quite relaxing trip."

"With Dr. Harrison?"

"Well, yes, to a certain extent, I suppose." Brennan tilted her head. "Booth, why are you looking at me like that?"

He dropped his burger back down onto his plate. "Because, Bones! There were rules… you weren't supposed to go find a guy on the trip. Remember that little detail?"

She sat up straighter, looking offended. "Booth, Dr. Harrison and I did not engage in sexual intercourse. I worked with him on a project."

"You weren't even supposed to flirt, Bones." Booth pointed at her. "No flirting, no kissing, no… sexual intercourse. No anything. Those were the rules."

"And I abided by them." Brennan folded her arms across her chest, glaring at him. "Honestly, Booth, if either of us have chosen to ignore the rules it's you. Texting me, accosting me in the parking lot, attempting to persuade me to do your work for you. I have been completely blameless throughout this entire process."

"Accosting you?" Booth demanded. "Geez, Bones, I'm sorry. Next time I see you for the first time in a week, I'll just give a little wave. I wouldn't want to be brought up on assault charges."

"That would require quite an overreaction on my part." Brennan said snippily. "And as far as I can tell, you're the one in this partnership more prone to overreaction. Dr. Harrison and I had a professional relationship. I did not flirt with him, nor did I kiss him or any other activity other than identifying his victim. He graciously offered to purchase a meal for me in return and I accepted. That was the extent of our interactions."

"Yeah, well, that's enough, Bones. A guy doesn't buy a meal for a woman without ulterior motives. He wanted all the flirting and the kissing and the… intercoursing. Trust me."

An inquisitive light came into her eyes. "So when you buy a meal for a woman, you are intending to pursue her sexually?"

"I wouldn't put it like that… but yeah. It means I'm interested."

"But you often purchase my meal when we eat together. Whether we are here at the diner or if you simply bring the meal to my apartment. Tomorrow night for instance, you offered to buy our food."

Booth gaped at her, shocked into silence for several seconds before stammering, "Well that's…. different, Bones. I mean… that's us. We have a thing, you know?"

She shook her head. "No, I don't know. What is our thing, Booth?"

"Well sometimes I buy, sometimes you buy. It's a give and take thing, not a… me pursuing you thing." He took a large gulp of his water and stuffed a fry in his mouth, not meeting her eyes.

She thought for a long moment. "No, Booth, I think that by your reasoning, it would simply mean that I am pursuing you in addition to you pursuing me."

"Bones…"

"Which, obviously demonstrates that your theory is false, since neither of us are pursuing the other. Meaning that my dinner with Dr. Harrison was not inherently a breach of the rules, simply a potential breach of the rules. And since it was a merely a meal with no sexual undertones whatsoever, I conclude that no breach has occurred and that I have been entirely successful in adhering to our therapy regiment. Unlike yourself."

Sighing, Booth leaned his forehead on his hand and closed his eyes. "Bones… I'm begging you. Let's talk about anything else. Anything. Anthropology 101, I don't care."

She smiled. "Well, you did say we would discuss why you told Sweets that you were kidding when you complimented my appearance."

~B/B~

Saturday 8:38

Booth drove her back to the Hoover building parking lot so that she could pick up her car. He'd tried to convince her to allow him to take her home and then help her get her car back in the morning, but she had insisted her plans for the next day would take up all of her time. So he found himself pulling up next to her car and hopping out, getting around to her side just as she was closing his passenger side door. He couldn't help but smile at the familiar sense of frustration that she would never let him open a door for her if she could help it.

"Alright, Bones, guess I'll see you tomorrow." He waited as she unlocked her car, and reached out to open the driver's side door before she managed it herself, grinning at her irritated expression.

"Yes, I should be finished with Angela at approximately 6:00 if you'd like to come then."

"Sure. Thai food ok?"

"Yes, that sounds good." She surprised him, by hesitating before she got into her car, and then left him speechless as she reached up and gave him a light hug, pressing a kiss to his cheek. "I apologize if I antagonized you too much earlier, Booth. I am very glad that you are home safely and I look forward to tomorrow evening."

Feeling a rush of affection for her, he caught her waist and hugged her back quickly before she could escape. "You didn't do anything wrong, Bones. I'm sorry I reacted to Dr. Hampton that way."

"Harrison." Brennan corrected him.

He released her. "Whatever. Thanks for doing this with me, Bones. I mean it. I'll see you tomorrow, ok?"

She nodded. "Goodnight Booth."

"Drive safe and lock your doors." He headed back to his car and waited until she was all the way in her own and pulling out before he began to follow her. He stayed behind her for as long as he could before turning off to head to his own apartment, waving at her as he did so.

~B/B~

Sunday 6:30 A.M.

Brennan woke up early to begin her tasks for the day. After a brief breakfast, she began laundry, checked her email, contacted her father to let him know she was back in town, and went out to restock her fridge with groceries.

At 10:30 she sat down to look over the last few chapters of her book that she had written while on vacation, stopping only when her stomach nagged at her an hour and a half later. Fixing herself an apple pecan salad for lunch, she returned to her desk, refocusing her attention on research for another hour.

Angela called and informed Brennan that she would be arriving at 3:00 and that Cam would be joining them. Was that ok? Brennan agreed and hung up the phone quickly, settling herself on her couch.

She pulled out a piece of paper and a pen from her purse – the very same materials she had tried to force on Booth. Taking a deep breath, she attempted to clear her mind and consider only the question before her.

What were her goals for the next few years?

She thought over her life, trying to find holes in it. She considered herself to be quite content, all things considered. There were no obviously neglected areas of her life, and if anyone asked her, she would likely say she had everything she wanted or needed.

So then what else did she want to accomplish? It was a harder question than she had anticipated.

Booth's face swam into her mind, puzzling her. These were her individual goals. They were supposed to be about her, not about her partner. She pushed the thought of him away, and yet he was as persistent in her mind as he was in reality. Her thoughts lingered on him.

Truth be told, her thoughts had lingered on him a great deal lately. The vacation had only highlighted a problem she had already perceived, a problem she wasn't all that comfortable with. She enjoyed her relationship with Booth, but lately it seemed to take over her life in a way she wasn't at all used to.

Taking her pen in her hand, she wrote down her first goal.

_Accept an offer to engage in a 4-6 month lecturing tour. _

She received offers to do exactly that on an almost weekly basis from people who were willing to fund her trip if she would travel to colleges around the country and speak to anthropology students. She always turned them down, not wanting to be away from her job for that long. But perhaps she had grown too reliant on her position at the Jeffersonian. She had always enjoyed the freedom to come and go as she pleased, taking opportunities as they were presented to her.

It had been a long time since she had done that. Reasserting her independence was an excellent goal.

Smiling down at the neat handwriting that now adorned her clean page, she felt that sense of satisfaction she always got when she did well on an assignment.

Now that she had begun, the other two goals came more easily and she was finished with the assignment in under thirty minutes – much less time than she had believed it would take her to find anything lacking in her life that she would want to resolve.

Looking at her paper before folding it up, she smiled once more.

_Accept an offer to engage in a 4-6 month lecturing tour._

_Improve my interpersonal interactions in both the interrogation room and interviews._

_Develop a better relationship with my father, Russ, and his family. _

She was certain that Sweets would approve of her goals, and she was quite proud of them herself. It was important, even for someone as successful as her, to remember that improvements could always be made.

Putting the paper in her purse, she attempted to push away the one nagging feeling she had about her first goal. She found the concept of going on a tour pleasing, and yet part of her was still reluctant to consider being away from her job and Booth for that long.

Shaking her head at her own foolishness, she decided that her reluctance was simply one more reason to keep the goal. Obviously she had allowed herself to become too comfortable where she was. She and Booth were attempting to disentangle their lives from each other more and her first goal was a perfect way to do that.

Not that she would rush into anything. This was certainly not the time to accept such an offer with her book deadline so close and having just begun therapy with Booth. There was no hurry. The offers would always be there.

Having made her decision, she stood and went to the kitchen, preparing drinks and finger foods for her company.

~B/B~

Sunday 11:49 A.M.

Booth pulled himself from the warmth of his bed at nearly noon, stretching languidly as he dragged his hand over his torso, still slightly raw from the exposure to the sun. After a quick shower and call to Parker, during which he promised that their next weekend together would be doubly awesome to make up for the two he had missed, he sat down at his kitchen table with a mixing bowl full of cereal.

Pulling the notepad and pen he had set out the night before over to him, he tapped the pen vigorously as he tried to wrap his mind around what was being asked of him. Write down three goals for the next five years. Only three goals. He had a million goals, a million things he wanted to do.

He wanted to buy a motorcycle, he wanted to take Parker on a trip for just the two of them. He wanted to pull in a case that would finally win him some recognition at the bureau. He wanted a better chair for his office and maybe a bigger office altogether. He wanted a bigger place where Parker could have a room bigger than the size of Bones' walk-in closet. He wanted to take a spontaneous weekend trip with someone he loved. He wanted lots of things.

But those weren't the kinds of goals he was supposed to be writing down. Sweets wanted major, life-is-incomplete without goals. Three of them.

Immediately the first one came to him.

_Be a better father._

That was just a given. That would be one of his goals for the rest of his life. He knew that he couldn't give Parker everything he wanted to give him. He couldn't even give him half of what he wanted to give him. But everyday he worked on being better at the things he could do. Being there when Parker wanted to talk. Making sure he was at ever event possible. Making sure his son knew he was proud of him, that he loved him. That was definitely something he wanted to get better at over the next five years.

He had the first one down and it hadn't been that hard, but he couldn't come up with the second, much less the third. His goals were lots of little things he wanted to do. Shopping for Christmas trees with his family. Planning a surprise and watching the reaction unfold. Dancing in the park. Finding the perfect gift.

It took him awhile, but it finally hit him. All of his goals focused around having someone to share his life with. Someone to take dancing, someone to wake up with, someone to cuddle on the couch. He wanted to fall in love.

There was nothing he wanted more in the world than to look into the eyes of a woman and see her looking back, knowing that it was love he saw in her blue eyes. Nothing he wanted more than to have the scent of her perfume on his t-shirts because she liked to wear them to sleep in. Nothing he wanted more than to feel her hand reaching for his.

He pushed the piece of paper away, knowing there was no way he was going to write that down for Sweets to read out loud during a therapy session. It was too… personal. Too close to his heart.

There was no way.

Minutes ticked by as he struggled to come up with another goal. Any other goal that he could write down. The minutes accumulated into an hour and he let out a sigh of frustration, jerking the paper back to him. He would write down the goal, but there was no way he was writing anything about love. That was just opening the door for both Sweets and Bones to mock him.

Thinking for a moment, he carefully wrote,

_Enter into a long-term, committed relationship. _

There. That should be clinical enough for Bones and truthful enough for Sweets.

Tired of the whole process, he quickly wrote down his third goal, the one that, at the moment, was definitely closest to his heart.

_Be released from any further therapy. Forever._

Satisfied that he could tell Bones he had put time and thought into his goals, he gratefully folded up the paper and placed it on the table next to the door so he would remember it the next day. Then, with a satisfied flop onto the couch, he turned on the game to kill time until he needed to pick up the food and meet Bones.

~B/B~

Sunday 5:21 P.M.

"Anyway, the guy would not leave me alone. I mean, just because I'm a dressed-to-kill, gorgeous woman sitting along at a bar, does not mean that I need his grubby hands all over me. I told him I was about three weeks into my six month celibacy vow. Yeah, I'm pretty sure he didn't know what celibacy meant because that only encouraged him." Angela smirked and swirled the wine in her glass, her eyes sparkling. "So then I told him I was undergoing a sex change and that I'd just had the first reconstruction surgery done. He walked away so fast I thought he was gonna light the floor on fire behind him."

Cam and Angela laughed, while Brennan merely shook her head. "I'm quite sure he could not have created enough friction to do so, Angela."

Angela reached over and patted Brennan's leg. "Have some more wine, Sweetie."

"I can't. Booth is coming over later so that we can discuss our mutual goals."

Angela and Cam exchanged looks, eyebrows raised. Angela decided to take this one. "And what mutual goals would those be? Are we talking… having a better solve rate or something more… interesting?"

"Booth and I have an excellent solve rate already." Brennan pointed out, spearing a cheese cube with her fork and lifting it to her lips. "So I suppose our goals fall into your secondary category of something more interesting."

Cam choked on the raw carrot she had just bitten into. "Dr. Brennan, I'm pretty sure you don't mean that the way it sounded."

"I'm quite sure I did." Brennan insisted.

Angela shook her head. "No, I'm with Cam on this one. When I said something more… interesting, I mean something more… romantic. So if you're actually talking about your romantic goals, let me just give you a piece of advice. Cut the chit-chat and jump that man."

Cam gave her a look and Angela shrugged. "What? I'm just saying… it's been too long already. Why waste time? Especially when I need a vicarious thrill more than I need my next breath."

"I don't believe anything I said indicated romance, Angela. I have told you before. Booth and I are just partners. And we're discussing our goal for our partnership as Sweets requested. It is part of our new therapy regime."

"Ah, that's right." Angela nodded, sipping at her wine. "The master plan to pull you guys further apart." Angela looked at Cam. "Sweets has undertaken the impossible. Our dream team here went to him and asked them to help them fix their surrogate relationship."

"Well that is certainly… surprising." Cam looked at Brennan. "Can I ask what brought that on?"

"Booth ended his relationship with Ellen because it was negatively impacting his relationship with me, leading him to believe that we needed assistance to allow ourselves to form relationships outside of our partnership." Brennan said casually, spearing another cheese cube. "I was opposed to the idea at first, but I have found the beginning stages of the process quite enlightening. It appears that I have allowed myself to become quite caught up in my relationsh… partnership with Booth."

Cam looked at Angela, wide-eyed, and Angela nodded, rolling her eyes. "Well then. I'm glad you two are…working through your feelings."

"Yes." Brennan shifted on the floor, glancing at the clock. She was expecting Booth within the next half-hour and needed to begin to usher the two women out. Her intentions were derailed by Cam's next comment.

"Actually, Dr. Brennan, I have always wondered if the reason we had difficulty getting along when I first arrived had anything to do with your knowledge of my prior relationship with Seeley."

Brennan frowned. "Of course not. Your intimacy with Booth didn't affect me in any way. I simply had no reason to trust your credentials or any proof that you were a valuable asset to my department. It was your presence in general that I was originally displeased with, not your connection to Booth."

Cam looked down, nodding her head and hiding the small smile on her face. "Of course. I… should have known that."

"Yes. You should have." Brennan agreed.

"Well, I'm glad that's all behind us now." Cam said after an awkward moment of silence even Angela wasn't sure how to break.

"Definitely." Angela chimed in. "Let me just tell you, that was not fun to be in the middle of. You know what's even less fun though? Celibacy."

Cam laughed, rolling her eyes. "We get it, Angela. You're celibate and it's driving you crazy."

"Crazy isn't even the word," Angela started to say before she was interrupted by a knock at the door that had them all looking at each other. "And who might that be, Sweetie?"

"It's too early for it to be Booth." Brennan mused as she stood up and crossed to the door, opening it swiftly.

"Hiya, Bones." Booth grinned at her, stepping into the apartment, his arms full of takeout and beer. "Sorry, I'm early. Everything worked the opposite tonight. No wait at the Thai place, no traffic, hit all the lights. It was my lucky day."

"Those are coincidences, Booth, not an indication of a special day." She informed him as she closed the door behind him.

"Come on, Bones, there's no such thing as coincidences. I was just meant to be here tonight." He laughed at her disdainful look and set the takeout down, as he showed her the six-pack he'd brought. "I got the kind you like 'cause I thought you'd probably have leftovers of my brand from before."

"I have both. I went grocery shopping today."

"Oh." He shrugged. "Well now we have more." Setting the six-pack down he turned and saw Angela and Cam for the first time as they watched the scene before them unfold with identical amused expressions on their faces. "Oh, hey." He greeted them before looking back at Brennan. "Sorry, Bones, I didn't know you still had company."

"It's alright, Booth. They were about to leave."

"We were?" Angela stood up and crossed to Booth, giving him a hug. "Glad you're home G-man. Even more glad you brought that incredible tan with you. I didn't think it was possible but you look even more delicious than usual." She grinned suggestively at him and he chuckled.

"Looking good yourself, Ange. By the way… this tan covers a lot more than you can see at the moment."

Angela closed her eyes in pleasure. "Don't do that to me, Booth. You know I can't take it right now."

Booth laughed again and accepted Cam's hug as well. "Did you hold down the fort while I was gone?" He asked her.

"It's running as smoothly as ever."

"Good to hear." Booth stepped back closer to Brennan, laying his arm on the counter behind her, barely leaning against her. "Hey, Bones, I don't wanna run off your company. There's plenty of take out and plenty of beer. We could share." He nudged her shoulder. "Have a little Sunday night party before work."

"Booth, we have work to do." She reminded him, looking at him pointedly.

He shook his head, bringing the arm behind her up around her shoulders. "Ah, Bones. Four years with me and you still haven't learned how to relax. I've failed you."

"We relaxed last night." She argued. "I agreed to procrastinate until tonight. That's all."

Angela tore her eyes away from the partners' interactions long enough to settle the debate. "Actually, Cam and I have to go. But thanks."

Brennan sent a triumphant look at Booth and he rolled his eyes at her.

"We'll just get our stuff together." Angela nudged Cam. "Right, Cam?"

"Yes." Cam nodded. "Absolutely."

"Thanks, Angie." Brennan sent her a smile before moving out from under Booth's arm and towards the kitchen, opening her silverware and pulling out two forks and two knives. Booth stood behind her, resting a warning hand on her back as he reached over her to open the cupboard where he knew the plates were. He grabbed two plates and set them by the takeout, before moving the refrigerator to grab two cold beers, twisting the cap off of hers and trading it with her for the silverware.

In the living room, Angela was more focused on the partners than finding her purse and her shoes. She elbowed Cam, nodding towards the kitchen with her head. "Could they be anymore married?"

Cam raised her eyebrows, looking over just in time to see Booth hand Brennan a plate of food, waving it tauntingly underneath her nose first while she shoved at him. "Could they be any more clueless?"

Angela laughed and finally grabbed her belongings. "Let's exit quickly. Give them plenty of alone time." She waggled her eyebrows and Cam nodded.

"Bye guys!" Angela called as they headed towards the door. "See you tomorrow, Bren. If you can drag yourself into work after staying up late and drinking way too much alcohol."

"Goodbye, Angie. Cam." Brennan waved distractedly as Booth turned her kitchen upside down looking for extra napkins. She sighed and pulled out a drawer. "They're right here, Booth."

"You moved them!" He accused, grabbing a handful. "You have to keep me up to speed on these things, Bones. What if we were having a napkin emergency?"

~B/B~

Sunday 5:56 P.M.

They sat on Brennan's couch to eat, making small talk about their days, while carefully avoiding any discussion about writing out their goals. Brennan attempted to explain her research to Booth who nodded at what he believed to be appropriate intervals until she caught him agreeing with her when the opposite reaction was expected.

They'd switched then to talking about his day, and she'd had similar problems understanding the game he was trying to describe to her, but he pushed on, determined to get her to understand the basic principles of football.

As soon as she had finished her food and set her plate down, Booth scooped it up and carried all their dishes to the kitchen, turning on her water and starting to fill up her sink. She followed him, moving to stand at the counter beside him, watching him.

He shot her a smile. "What, Bones?"

"You're avoiding writing down our goals."

"Nope."

"You're washing dishes, Booth." She raised her eyebrows and crossed her arms. "You're avoiding."

He glanced over at her again, seeing immediately there was no point in protesting. "Fine, Bones, so I'm not jumping up and down to get started. You know, I spent hours on it already today."

"Hours?" She looked at him in surprise. "I was done in less than thirty minutes."

"Yeah, well, you wouldn't do mine for me so I had to spend that much time." He gave her a winning smile. "Let's watch a movie instead."

"I don't have a television, Booth."

"Play a game?"

"You refused to play chess with me anymore, remember? It's the only game I have."

"Go out for coffee?"

"I can make coffee here."

He sighed, abandoning his dishwater to turn fully towards her. "Bones…"

"They're just simple goals. It won't be hard." She promised him, taking his arm. "And I can help you this time."

He allowed her to pull him back towards the couch where she settled back in, pulling her earlier abandoned notepad towards her and neatly writing "Mutual Goals" at the top of the paper and underlining it.

"There." She said happily. "Booth, sit down."

He flopped down beside her, making her fall against him. The jolt had her pen dropping and rolling into the couch cushions. "Booth!"

"Uh-oh. Well, guess we can't do this now." He shrugged and grinned at her. "Sorry, Bones."

"You can be such a child at times." She lifted herself off of him and searched for her pen, finally retrieving it from between the couch cushions despite the fact that he did nothing to move out of her way and merely chuckled at her efforts.

"Now, let's begin. Do you have any ideas for a first goal?"

"How about not having to go to therapy anymore?" He joked.

"Excellent. I agree." She nodded and, to his surprise, began writing it down.

"Oh, uh, Bones, I was kind of kidding about that one."

"Why?" She looked up at him. "Would you like to continue having problems in our partnership that require therapy?"

"No…"

"Then I think this is a very reasonable goal." She finished writing, carefully smoothing out the paper when she was done. "Now, what about goal number two? Any suggestions?"

"Hey I came up with the first one… even if it was an accident. Your turn. What's your goal for us, Bones?"

His playfully complaining tone had vanished as he looked at her more seriously, waiting for her answer.

She looked down at her paper while she thought about it. "Well… while I understand the need for certain aspects of our partnership to change in order to allow growth in other directions, I do have a concern."

"Tell me." He lifted his arm onto the back of the couch, unconsciously leaning closer.

She looked up and met his eyes. "I enjoy our partnership very much, Booth. And I understand the logical reasons why it cannot remain the way it is indefinitely, but I am reluctant for it to change as well." She drew a little further into herself. "That is an illogical concern. Obviously it cannot both change and stay the same."

He smiled, dropping his hand onto her shoulder and squeezing. "Yeah it can, Bones. It definitely can. That's what I was talking about yesterday. Believing or wanting two contradictory things. I feel the same way. I don't want us to change, I just want us to grow. Together, but… not all at the same time."

She frowned and he nodded his understanding.

"I know. It's hard for me to wrap my head around so I know it's even harder for you. Just… I'm going to promise you something, Bones. No matter what… what's at the core of us… nothing will change that. Ok?"

"What is at the core of us, Booth?"

"Lots of really great stuff. We have a rock solid friendship and that's never going to change. We rely on each other. Protect each other. Laugh together. Irritate each other. All of that is what makes us who we are together and that's not going anywhere. At the end of this, we're still going to have all of it. I promise.

"I hope you are correct."

"Trust me. I am." He squeezed her shoulder again. "Write it down, Bones. That's a goal. We don't want 'us' to change."

She thought for a long moment before finally writing something down. He angled his head closer so that he could read what she wrote and smiled at her unique translation.

_To ensure that the symbiotic nature of our interactions do not change fundamentally._

"Good thinking with the squint-speak, Bones. Sweets will love that."

"Your turn." She looked up at him. "You should state what you want for us now."

"Hmm. You kinda took the most important one." He gave her a friendly nudge. "I guess… I guess your goal was more about us personally, so I'll take professionally. I want our partnership to stay as strong as it is right now. I want to keep working in the field with you, solving cases with you." He sent her a cocky smile. "I still want us to be the best. No matter what happens in therapy. We'll stay the best."

She nodded and again began busily writing. Once again he snuck a peak at the paper.

_To maintain our status as the best partnership in our respective fields._

She looked back up at him when she had finished. "See, Booth? That was simple."

"You know, it kinda was." He conceded, taking the paper from her hands and looking it over. "I like these goals, Bones." He looked over at her again. "Will you help me with these goals?"

"I'm your partner, Booth. I will assist you with anything."

His smile softened and he leaned towards her, pulling her to him at the same time so that he could give her as much of a hug as was possible as they sat side by side. "Same here, Bones. Same here."

She hugged him back for a moment before beginning to draw away. When he could see her face again, he raised his eyebrows at her teasingly. "So, what were your individual goals?"

Rolling her eyes, she shoved him away. "You'll find out tomorrow in Sweet's office and not one minute before."

"Teacher's pet." He muttered under his breath.

~B/B~

**For those of you who are actually worried that I might send Brennan away on lecturing tour for six months... come on. You know me better than that! Would I ever do that to you? (The correct answer is no, by the way)**

**Hope you enjoyed this chapter and are still looking forward to what's coming next. We'll all just have to wait and see to how they react to each others' goals and what Sweets has to say about what they mean... **

**As always, your feedback would mean the world to me so stop and leave a review, pretty, pretty please! =)  
**


	9. The Revelation in the Therapy

**A/N**: **Hello lovely readers! It's that time again... time for another chapter. =) Thank you SO much to all of you who have been reviewing. You guys are amazing and I really, really appreciate hearing from you! **

**I hope you enjoy this chapter and would LOVE to hear what you think. =)**

**Thanks to Hannah Taylor1 for doing what she does best and making this chapter better for all of us. =) Please go check out her fic, Problem Solving, The Booth and Brennan Way. If you're a fan of Bones, you'll be a fan of that story - I guarantee it. She's done an excellent job with it. =)**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Bones.  
**

~B/B~

Monday 10:01 A.M,

Silence filled Dr. Lance Sweets' office as the partners sat next to each other on his couch, one waiting patiently and the other quite impatiently as he attempted to say what he had decided needed to be said.

"Uh, Sweets? We're kind of on a schedule here." Booth gave Sweets a get-it-together look and tapped his watch. "How about some time today?"

"That's actually what I want to talk to you both about." Sweets manned up and leaned forward, his training telling him that the way his hands were rubbing together plainly displayed his nervousness. "When we're in these sessions, you guys have to be on my time." He closed his eyes and reopened them, choosing to direct his words to Dr. Brennan who, while every bit as intimidating as Agent Booth, had only threatened him once or twice as opposed to Booth's frequent threats. "You need to respect my time."

"Sweets…" Booth began and Sweets knew he had to get out his thought quickly.

"It's just totally rude for you to walk out on me!" He burst out.

To his surprise, Brennan nodded. "We agree. Booth is very apologetic."

Booth turned to his partner, shocked. "Me? Bones, you were right behind me last time. Remember that?"

"Technically, I was in front of you." Brennan corrected him, "Because you were pushing me out the door."

"Oh, and suddenly you're helpless?" Booth challenged her.

"Of course not."

"Ha." Booth reached over and tapped her knee. "So it's your fault too. Bones is apologetic, Sweets."

Irritated, Brennan started to turn to face her partner. "I'm not the one who…"

Sweets held up his hand, staving off the argument he could feel coming on. "Guys, it doesn't matter now. My point is, if you want me to help you, let me actually help you. Our session is an hour long today and I need you to stay for like… all of it. Ok?"

"We get it, Sweets." Booth settled further into the couch. "So can we get on with it now? We promise to be your little playthings for the next fifty-eight minutes."

"Unless we get a case." Brennan added.

"Right. Unless we get a case."

"Totally workable." Sweets sat forward more enthusiastically now. "Alright, we've got a lot on the schedule for today so let's just jump right in with both feet? Sound good, guys?"

At the silence that followed, his grin only widened. "Ok! Well, I'm excited. We're going to start with a trust exercise. In fact we'll be starting each session off with trust exercises that will gradually become more demanding. But today is just real beginner stuff. No big deal."

The partners exchanged glances. "How does this work?" Booth asked warily.

Sweets stood up. "Ok, stand up and face each other but keep like two feet between you. Right, like that." Sweets nodded as the partners followed his instructions. "Now, join hands."

Brennan looked at Booth for a moment before extending both of her hands to him, allowing him to take her cool fingers in his warm, rough hands.

"Ok…" Booth prompted. "Now what?"

"Alright, I'm going to time you guys for sixty seconds and all you have to do is just maintain eye contact with each other for that amount of time. You can totally blink and stuff, just don't look away from each other."

"You want us to look into each other's eyes?" Brennan frowned. "How does that build trust?"

"It just… does. You're going to be looking into each others' eyes and you'll be able to develop a new level of openness with each other. Eyes are very telling, Dr. Brennan."

"But…"

"Bones, relax." Booth squeezed her hands. "It's fine. Let's just do the exercise and let him worry about all that other stuff. All we have to do is look at each other."

She nodded reluctantly and focused her gaze on his face. "Very well. I will play along."

"Ok, well, that's not really a great way to… never mind." Sweets shook his head. "Alright… starting… now."

Booth took a deep breath and focused his eyes on his partner's, noting the hesitancy still present in hers. She was meeting his gaze unwaveringly, but he could see the questions lingering and wanted to reassure her. Without breaking eye contact, he shifted their hands so that his fingers laced with hers and gently squeezed, smiling a smile he hoped would reach his eyes.

Her gaze softened in return and he found himself noticing how very clear her eyes really were. They were a beautiful shade of blue, but in some lights, like the light they were in now, the color was so translucent that her eyes almost looked grey. The color he was studying so intensely disappeared for a moment as she blinked, and Booth realized he'd never noticed how slowly and methodically she blinked or how long her eyelashes were.

There was so much in her eyes. She wouldn't understand it if he tried to explain it to her, but he could look into her eyes and see the faces of the victims she had found justice for. He could see the way her eyes would occasionally sparkle when she knew she'd succeeded at making a joke. He could even look in them and picture the storms that clouded her blue irises when she was unhappy.

Her eyes were amazing.

He felt himself smiling, though he didn't know why. He squeezed her hands again, wishing he could tell her… something. He couldn't put his finger quite on what it was. Maybe just that she was beautiful. Looking at her like this, it really hit him. She was beautiful. Not in the everyday kind of way that most women were beautiful, but in that special way that could knock the breath out of someone.

"Guys, hey, I said time was up." Sweets' voice sent Booth shooting back into reality and he blinked, looking away from his partner and then back again. She seemed so much closer than he'd realized and he looked down, seeing that somehow during the sixty seconds they had drawn together until they were almost touching.

Booth dropped her hands quickly, jamming his own inside his pockets. "Looks like we passed that trust exercise." He joked, glancing over at Brennan only to find her staring thoughtfully at the floor.

Sweets sat back down and motioned that they could do the same. "Yeah, you guys did great. You displayed a great deal of openness and willingness."

"Well, we're partners." Booth's leg was bouncing up and down as he tried to pull himself out of the alternate reality he had been hovering on the precipice of. "We kind of have to be open with each other."

"Hmm." Sweets said noncommittally, making notations without looking up.

"Hey, what are you writing?" Booth demanded, leaning forward.

"Notes, Agent Booth. I may be a brilliant young doctor, but my memory is not perfect."

"Mine is." Brennan finally spoke as she crossed her legs neatly.

Both men looked at her, but while Sweets went back to his notes, Booth continued to watch her, noting that she seemed to be deep in thought.

"Hey, you ok, Bones?"

"Fine." She assured him. "Why would I not be?"

"Dunno. You're just being quiet."

"I am often quiet when I do not have anything insightful to say, Booth."

"Ok, ok." He held up a hand. "Just asking."

Sweets put aside his notepad and addressed the partners again. "Ok, well I expect you guys to be completely honest with me, so I'll be honest with you too, if you want. I can tell you what I observed from that exercise or we can just jump right on into our goals."

The partners exchanged glances.

"Do we want to know?" Booth asked suspiciously.

"How would he know if we wanted to know?" Brennan asked before Sweets could respond. "I, for one, am open to hearing his observations, Booth. However, I feel that we should both take them for what they are: unquantifiable guesses into our motivations, and react as such."

"Tell us, Sweets." Booth translated.

"Ok, well there was definitely some major intensity flowing between you guys, which tells me there's a lot of strong feelings laying at the foundation of your relationship that need to be dealt with. I'm not sure either of you are even aware that they are there. Secondly, the fact that you moved unconsciously towards each other means that you're mega-close. Completely connected to each other. The move was like instantaneous and if either of you had taken another step, you'd have been touching." Sweets was grinning from ear to ear while the partners carefully avoided looking at each other.

"Ok…" Booth said after a minute. "So we're close and we have unresolved feelings about that. I can live with that. Right, Bones?"

"His observations are unsubstantiated."

Sweets nodded. "That's ok. Like I said, I'm willing to tell you guys what I'm taking note of to encourage honesty between us. I don't expect you to necessarily accept it at this point. So, let's just keep moving along. Did you both bring your individual goals?

~B/B~

Monday 10:23 A.M.

The partners had a few moments to themselves after Sweets had collected all three sets of goals from them and excused himself to his desk so that he could look over them before they discussed. With a glance at Sweets, Booth scooted over closer to Brennan, leaning his shoulder against hers.

"Bones?" He whispered, "Hey, I know something is bothering you. Tell me and I'll fix it."

She looked over at him. "That's not a promise you can absolutely keep, Booth. You have no knowledge as to my concern yet."

"So you are upset?" He searched her face. "What's wrong?"

She shook her head. "I'd rather not discuss it at the moment."

"Bones, come on. Don't make me sit through the rest of the session wondering." He offered her a cajoling smile. "Please?"

With a sigh, Brennan shrugged her shoulders. "I simply don't understand the trust exercise or the conclusions Sweets made about it. He said we have unresolved feelings, Booth. I don't even know exactly what that means but I don't believe I like it."

"Hey…" He reached over and covered her hand with his. "Bones, don't worry about it. It's just psychobabble. You said it yourself – unsubstantiated blah blah blah. Whatever it was you said."

"I know, and yet it still bothers me."

He squeezed her hand again. "What were you thinking about while we were… you know? Looking at each other."

She brought her eyes to his and for a moment he thought she might actually tell him, but Sweets interrupted her as he sat back down in his chair.

"These were very interesting goals you came up with." He observed, not noticing the huddled partners at first. When he looked up, his eyebrows raised. "Uh, what's going on?"

"Nothing." Brennan said immediately, pulling her hand from Booth's. "Please continue your statement."

"Ok…" Sweets looked at Booth who was still looking at Brennan. "Anyway. These are very interesting. I'm going to read them out loud to you one at a time so that we can discuss them individually but I won't be going in any particular order. Agent Booth, I'm going to overlook your goal to never have to attend therapy again since I don't think anyone needs a psychology degree to understand that one."

Booth grinned. "Nope. Don't think they do."

"So moving on to one of your other goals, then. Dr. Brennan, one of Agent Booth's primary individual goals to accomplish over the next five years is to become a better father. What are your thoughts on that?"

Brennan nodded. "I fully expected that to be one of Booth's goals. He is a very dedicated father and does not realize his own worth in that capacity. He is the best father that I have ever personally known."

"Bones…" Booth leaned his shoulder against hers again. "Thank you."

"It is true, Booth. Your love for your son is quite impressive and I wish that there was a way for you to understand how much that must mean to Parker. I admire your desire to grow even more skilled in that area and I am quite certain you will be successful in your goal."

Unsure of what to say, Booth simply locked is gaze on hers, smiling softly, hoping that she could read something of what he was feeling. There were times when he couldn't believe her ability to say the absolute wrong thing at the wrong time, and then other times… she got it exactly right.

"Thanks, Bones." He murmured again.

"Alright, so this is a good personal goal for Agent Booth to have. As his partner and his friend, Dr. Brennan, can you help him in this goal in any way?"

"No." Brennan said simply.

Booth looked at her in surprise. "No?"

"No."

"Would you like to explain your answer?" Sweets prompted her. "Why can't you help Agent Booth be a better father?"

Brennan gave them both looks that clearly stated she thought the answer was obvious. "I have no offspring myself, nor do I have the benefit of a stable father figure. While I do have expertise in a vast number of areas, parenthood is certainly not one of them."

"Bones, you don't have to be an expert in parenting to help me. You help me be a better parent all the time."

She frowned. "I don't understand."

"Remember all those times when I get frustrated with Rebecca and you calm me down? That helps. And Parker… he loves hanging out with you. You're really nice to him. That helps me be better too."

Brennan considered Booth's words. "I never viewed it that way before. I can see the validity of your argument." She smiled at him. "I will try to continue to help you in that area."

"Good." Booth returned her smile. "Team effort, Bones. Team effort."

"Alright one goal conquered. Let's move on to two of Dr. Brennan's personal goals. She would like to become better in the interrogation room and in interviews. Agent Booth, how do you feel about that?"

Booth shrugged. "Good goal. Not much to think about, is there? I mean, Bones manages as it is, but like she says, always room for improvement."

"Can you help her with this goal?" Sweets prompted.

"Sure. I can work with her on techniques and stuff." He looked over at Brennan. "If you want."

She nodded. "I would appreciate any tutelage you can provide. Though I dislike to admit it, your expertise in that area far outweighs my own."

"Good." Sweets grinned at both of them, his pride in the smoothness of the session apparent in his body language as he sat on the edge of his seat, looking between the two partners. "Ok. So Dr. Brennan's second goal for right now is that she would like to become closer with her father and her brother's family."

Booth smiled at his partner. "That's a great goal, Bones. I'm glad you want that."

"I was surprised to find that I did." She admitted honestly. Catching on to Sweets' pattern, she continued, "It would be helpful to me, Booth, if you would encourage me to do so and if you would remain available for advice on appropriate interactions or for explanations when I require them."

"Sure thing, Bones. I'm always here when you need me."

"This is going so wicked awesome right now, guys. Do you see how much better it is when you cooperate with me?" Sweets was still grinning and Booth smirked at Brennan.

"Do you think he'll be more excited than this when he finally starts to grow chest hair?" Booth quipped, winking at her.

"Some men simply do not produce much chest hair, Booth. I can't see how that relates to the conversation at hand."

"It doesn't." Sweets interjected quickly. "Agent Booth simply feels the need to compensate for his own vulnerability by making snide comments to me."

Booth snorted. "Now that's what I call psychobabble."

"I would like to move on to your mutual goals and leave the remaining individual goals for discussion afterward." Sweets directed them firmly back to the original conversation. "I see that your first goal is not to need therapy anymore. I'm going to assume this is a more serious goal, rather than a product of Agent Booth's frustration, and I'm also going to assume it's not because you want to get rid of me."

Sweets chuckled, looking back and forth between the partners while they watched him silently.

"Yeah, well, I'm still going to assume that." He finally said. "Anyway, I think that is an excellent goal. To no longer require therapy would mean that your partnership would be solid and functioning."

"Which it is." Booth pointed out.

Sweets ignored him. "Your second and third mutual goals indicate something that is very important for us to acknowledge before we move back to individual goals."

Sweets gave them each a long look before leaning forward, intent on getting his message across. "Aside from wanting to be done with therapy, your only other goals for your partnership are that it stay exactly as it is now."

Booth and Brennan looked at each other for a long moment before turning back to Sweets.

"So?" Booth demanded gruffly, running his hand down his tie, straightening it. "What's your point?"

"My point, Agent Booth, is obvious and you know it. You don't want your partnership to change. You like the way you are, in spite of the fact that you know it's not functional. You like your relationship."

"Ok..." Booth said slowly. "I'm gonna ask again. So?"

"So, I think the importance of that will become apparent when I state your last two individual goals." Sweets leaned back. "Agent Booth's final individual goal, Dr. Brennan, is to enter into a long-term, committed relationship." Sweets held up a hand to stop Brennan from responding. "And Agent Booth, Dr. Brennan's final goal was to go on a 4-6 month lecture tour, I presume around the country."

Booth's head jerked up and he looked at his partner in shock. "Your main goal is to leave for six months?"

"Four to six months." She corrected him calmly.

"Four to… Bones." He sat up straight, leaning towards her. "I don't care how many months! How can you make that a goal without even talking to me about it? I'm your partner. You know if you make a decision like that it affects me too. You can't just pick up and leave for six months."

"Four to…" Brennan began.

"Bones, if you say that again it's not going to be a good thing." Booth ground out. "I can't believe this…"

"Booth, I don't understand why you are so angry." Brennan leaned forward to. "It would be an excellent career move for me and I receive offers to lecture frequent. Besides, independence has always been something I have appreciated and instructing other is an important aspect of my job."

"More than you appreciate me? What about the me aspect of your job?"

"I enjoy working with you very much, Booth. You know that."

"No, I don't really." Booth shoved himself back against the couch. "What was that load of crap last night then, Bones? What about not wanting us to change? What about what Sweets just said about our mutual goals on staying the same? How are we going to do that if you're off touring the world?"

Beginning to grow angry, Brennan narrowed her eyes. "Perhaps I could schedule my tour to coincide with your honeymoon. After all, you too created a goal that will radically change the nature of our partnership without consulting me."

"That's different, Bones. I might be gone for two weeks on a honeymoon. And it's not like I get… numerous offers like you do. I don't get mail every week from women beating down my door to marry me."

"Regardless, your marriage would permanently change our partnership. Granted I don't know much about marriage, but I believe your wife would expect you to eat dinner with her and spend most weekends with her. Likely she would want children as well which would further pull you away from your job." Brennan crossed her arms, glaring at her partner. "I resent your propensity to tell me that I am the only one at fault here."

Booth let out a frustrated groan and rubbed the bridge of his nose, giving Sweets enough an opportunity to jump into the conversation.

"You're both making good points. These are the kinds of things that we need to be talking about. Your goals for your partnership are to have things remain as they are while your individual goals are taking you in very different directions. This is the crux of your problem. This is what you have to decide. Whether you want to draw closer together or move further apart."

When Sweets had said his piece, he fell silent, willing to wait for either of the partners to say something else. Minutes passed and neither spoke. Brennan sat looking straight ahead, her face unreadable, while Booth sat looking towards the window, his thumb rubbing viciously against the poker chip he had fished out of his pocket.

Finally Brennan turned towards her partner. "Booth, I have no immediate plans to go out of town. I know that I can occasionally be unaware of protocols that go along with relationships, but I would not make a decision to accept such an offer without consulting you. I merely stated it as a goal because it is something I would very much like to consider at some point and because I believed it to be an excellent way to gain more independence. I apologize if I upset you, though I still believe that you are guilty of the very same inconsideration you've accused me of."

Booth's abuse of his poker chip lessened slight as she spoke, and he turned to her, his eyes tired. "You're right, Bones. You're right. I did the same thing you did. I don't know how to fix this."

"Which is why you came to me." Sweets managed to keep the satisfaction out of his voice – just barely. "You guys are feeling overwhelmed right now, but that's totally normal at this point. All we're doing right now is highlighting the issues. They're not going to be solved today."

Sweets looked back and forth between the partners. "In fact, we're done for the day."

Brennan frowned. "But we still have eighteen minutes and you were quite insistent that we remain for the duration of the session."

"Yeah, well, we made mega-progress today so I'm calling it quits early. Let me just give you your assignment and you can go."

Booth glared at Sweets. "Assignment? We're meeting with you again on Wednesday. How much can we really get done before then? We have jobs, you know."

"I do." Sweets nodded. "I definitely do. This is something that can be done at a lunch date or something similar. Thirty minutes of your day, that's it."

"Fine." Booth waved his hand to hurry Sweets up. "Let us have it."

"I'd like for you to each share a story about yourself that your partner hasn't heard before. That is the only stipulation. Time frame is unimportant, location is unimportant, content is unimportant. Just tell the story, and have the other person make notes on what the story was about. Do not discuss the story in any way at all or any implications or meaning it might have. Bring the notes to our Wednesday meeting. Can you both agree to that?"

"Fine." Booth said again.

"I can't imagine how this exercise is relevant." Brennan argued.

"Well, it's a good thing you're not the therapist then." Sweets quipped, his confidence at an all-time high due the success of his first real session with them. "Just come prepared Wednesday.

"But…" Brennan began again.

Booth shook his head, pointing his finger at her. "Bones, not now, ok? I just want to get out of here for now. We'll argue with him later if we need to."

With a glance at her partner, Brennan let the issue go and stood, following Booth to the door.

"See you both on Wednesday!" Sweets called after them, not worried that he didn't receive an answer from either.

~B/B~

Monday 10:46 A.M.

The drive back to the Jeffersonian seemed longer as the silence filled Booth's truck. Both partners were solemn and avoiding eye contact lest one of them be forced to speak.

Finally, Booth decided the silence couldn't continue. "You know, Bones, I was pretty mad at you about that lecture tour goal."

"I am aware, yes."

"I still don't like the idea of it. In fact, I kinda hate it. But… I'm not angry anymore. I meant what I said in there. You have a point, Bones, I did the same thing without even really realizing it."

"I am not angry with you either." Brennan offered, turning to look at him. "But I am concerned."

"I know." He met her eyes briefly. "Me too."

"I don't believe I realized the significance of our issues until today."

"Maybe not, but we'll figure it out." He assured her. "Like you said, Bones. Nothing is happening right now. You're not going anywhere and I'm not getting married anytime soon. We have plenty of time to work through this."

She nodded thoughtfully. "Yes."

"Just promise, Bones. Promise you won't agree to go off for six months without talking to me. Please?"

"I promise." She said automatically. "Likewise, you should refrain from getting married without informing me."

"I think I can arrange that."

~B/B~

Monday 10:57 A.M.

Booth walked her in to her office even though he had no reason to be at the Jeffersonian any longer. He had plenty of work to do at his own office, but the uneasiness from their session was still weighing on them both and he was reluctant to leave her on her own.

He managed to come up with excuses to stick around for a grand total of fifteen minutes before she called him on it, insisting that she was fine and that he should go. He sighed, knowing it was better to let her have her way. Standing up from her couch, he moved over to her and looked directly into her eyes.

"Bones, we're gonna be fine."

"I am not worried." Her tone was brusque. "Stop hovering."

"Fine, fine." He rolled his eyes. "Everything's peachy. I get it. I'm going."

"Thank you." She went back to her work, then looked up at him again. "I really am fine, Booth."

"Ok." He reached out and tucked her hair back, wanting to touch her somehow, but not wanting to push her. "I'll see you later."

"Goodbye, Booth."

Brennan watched as he left her office and then returned to her work, determined to concentrate solely on it and forget the ever increasing number of aspects of her life that she simply did not understand anymore.

All of thirty seconds passed before she heard a loud noise, quickly followed by a wide-eyed Hodgins who was attempting to hide the smile on his face. "Dude, Dr. B, you need to get out here. Booth is pissed. An intern left a delivery sitting in the hallway and Booth just tripped over it."

Brennan frowned, craning her neck to see out into the hallway. "I'm sure Booth can handle the situation."

A loud bellow startled them both and Hodgins' grin broke free. "Yeah, I'm not so sure. If I understood that foreign language correctly, he threw out his back. I'm guessing you're going to need to supervise before we lose an intern to gunplay." Hodgins paused, thinking. "Actually, that could be interesting. It's that kid with the oily skin. I hate him."

"BONES! A little help here!"

Any hesitation remaining vanished as Brennan heard the I-have-had-it tone in Booth's voice. Pushing aside her paperwork, she moved quickly to the hallway and suddenly found that she had to restrain her own amusement at the sight before her eyes.

~B/B~

**Sorry for the small cliffhanger. ;-) Chapter 10 is already in the works, but I bet I'd be inspired to finish it even more quickly, if you left me a note. ;-) Thanks for reading! You guys are great. =)**


	10. The Injury in the Lab

**A/N**: **Hello again, lovely readers! Thank you all for your comments for the last chapter. =) People seemed to like the trust exercise the most which I'm so excited about - oh, and for those of you who asked, yes that's a real trust exercise! I really, really appreciate the great feedback I've been getting - you guys are being so detailed and positive and offering suggestions. I love it!**

**Without giving too much away, I'm just going to tell you to make sure you read my ending note if you're left reeling at the end of this chapter. Oh, yeah... now you're curious. **

**Many thanks, as always, to my beta and lovely friend, Hannah Taylor1 for all of her assistance. This chapter is a product of her constant encouragement and guidance! Do I even need to tell you what to do now...? Go read her fic, Problem Solving, The Booth and Brennan Way. Seriously - don't miss out! =) **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Bones. *insert clever way of making this disclaimer more interesting*  
**

~B/B~

Monday 10:58 A.M.

All it took was a look from Brennan to have the nervous interns scattering from the positions they had taken up around Booth as he lay on the hard tile in the middle of the lab, a box of various supplies scattered across the floor, the obvious loser in the fight it had had with his feet.

She stepped up to him cautiously, briefly noting that Angela, Cam and Hodgins had all taken up positions in the perimeter of onlookers. She looked down at his stormy face, making sure to keep all expression off of hers.

"Booth, did you fall into this prone position or did you merely trip and lie down in order to minimize injury to your back?"

"Bones, could you, just once – for me, speak like a normal person?" His voice was tight with pain and her amusement at the spectacle he had created subsided.

"I need to know if you landed in this position when you fell or if you placed yourself on the floor for safety or comfort." She attempted to rephrase.

"Of course I landed in this position. Would I be lying like this on purpose?" He ground out. "Who leaves boxes in the middle of people's walkways anyway? What kind of idiot interns do you have here, Bones?"

"The culprit will be reprimanded." She assured him, kneeling down beside him. "But the first priority is to ensure your health. I'm going to slip my hands beneath your back very slowly and attempt to decipher the source of your injury."

He grabbed her hand as she started to act out her words and tugged her lightly so that she lowered her ear to his mouth.

"Just do whatever you have to so that I can be somewhere other than the middle of the lab, ok? I kinda have a reputation here."

She nodded and slid her hand between his back and the floor, probing gently with her fingers. "It appears that you have strained your lower lumbar region by tearing the muscle fibers here…" She pressed lightly, "And here. The injury most likely occurred when you moved in a sudden and unusual manner that twisted the lower torso unexpectedly.

"Yeah, that's called tripping over a box that someone left laying around." Booth muttered. "Can you fix me from here?"

She shook her head regretfully. "No, Booth, I'm sorry but I'm afraid that this is not something I am capable of fixing. The most common treatments for this injury is rest paired with gradually increased back exercises and stretches. For now, though, you simply need to be moved to a location that is both supportive and comfortable."

"Fine, whatever. Anywhere but here." Booth sent a glare at someone who had edged too close.

"I don't know that I can lift you by myself. Would you be alright with me asking for assistance?"

"Bones, don't you dare try lifting me alone." He gave her a stern look that lost most of its intimidation factor considering the wince that had taken up permanent residence in his expression. "The last thing we need is for both of us to have bad backs. Just… support me."

She took the hand he was offering and braced his arm with hers, easing him up off the floor in slow stages. When he was standing, his arm gingerly around her shoulders, she nodded for Cam to come over.

"Dr. Saroyan, please assist Agent Booth to my office. I'll be there in a moment."

"I don't need assistance." Booth said immediately. Leaning down, he spoke quietly to Brennan. "Bones, you have somewhere you need to be _right_ now?"

"I would like to determine the events that led to your fall as quickly as possible." She looked up at him, gently lifting his arm from around her. "I'll be back in a moment, Booth."

"Fine. But I don't need any help." Booth muttered, beginning to shuffle towards her office. Behind his back, Brennan indicated that Dr. Saroyan should follow him and she nodded, walking a careful step behind the lumbering agent.

Angela approached Brennan, leaning in to whisper. "Bren, there was this whole thing. It was crazy. See, Charlie…"

"Who is Charlie?" Brennan asked.

"One of your best interns. Anyway, he has a thing for Susan. Another one of your interns, Sweetie. I mean, he's got it bad. Like worse than Booth has it for you – ok well not worse, but the same. Anyway, Charlie signed for the delivery but then Susan asked for his help on something and Charlie just left the delivery right there at the edge of the walkway." Angela shook her head. "Booth was flying out of here and it caught his foot. He tripped and almost went down and then… well you know the rest."

"Thank you, Angela." Brennan walked towards her quickly scattering interns. "Whichever of you is named Charlie, is fired. Your services will no longer be required, effective immediately."

"Sweetie!" Angela protested. "You're going to fire him? It was an honest mistake."

"Booth could have been seriously injured. As it is he will require several days to recover. I cannot have such negligence in my lab, especially when it is the product of interpersonal relationships." Brennan turned back to her interns, not even registering their horrified expressions. "You should all learn from Charlie's mistake and enact every action here with precision and caution. Working for me is a privilege that I am not at all hesitant to deny you should your presence be a detriment in any way. Please return to work."

With that, Brennan headed for her office, leaving Angela and Hodgins gaping at each other. "That was so cool." Hodgins crowed. "You gotta admire that woman. She has balls."

"Oh stop it, Hodgins. Poor Charlie." Angela cast a glance at the distraught young man. "All he ever did was fall in love."

~B/B~

Monday 12:34 P.M.

It took fifteen minutes of heavy debate to convince Booth to go home and rest for the remainder of the day, but he finally relented, allowing Brennan to drive him and his SUV back to his apartment. He lifted himself out of the car, grumbling and groaning, and Brennan was waiting to slide her arm around his waist and help him inside. He insisted he didn't need the help, but leaned heavily on her shoulder all the way up to his front door.

"Where are your keys, Booth?" Brennan patted his pocket. "Do you need me to get them out for you?"

"Woah, watch the hands, Bones." He fished gingerly into his left pocket. "Here." He thrust the keys at her and she unlocked his door, leading him inside and easing him gently down on the couch.

She opened her purse and handed him a medicine bottle. "You may take two of these now, but no more until I return tonight. They're designed to block the pain and reduce the inflammation in your irritated muscles."

"Got anything for the rest of my irritation?" He muttered as he accepted the medicine from her.

"I fired the intern responsible, if that is what you mean."

"Bones! You fired him? That was a little… harsh."

She frowned. "I thought you would approve."

"No, Bones, I mean, yeah, I really hate being laid up, but it was just an honest mistake. Maybe give him like a suspension or something. Don't fire the kid."

"I've already done so. You could have been injured much more severely, Booth and, aside from that, I am not in the habit of allowing sloppy behavior in my lab. Charlie is fired."

Booth groaned. "Great, now I know his name. If I didn't know his name, I wouldn't feel as bad for the kid."

"That's illogical. Now rest. I'll bring you something to take the medicine with. Do you have food in the house?"

"Cereal."

She headed for his kitchen, opening his refrigerator and finding it mostly empty except for a block of cheese and a nearly full gallon of whole milk. "When did you last go grocery shopping?"

"Picked up some stuff Saturday night after I left you."

"I'll stop after work tonight and purchase you some actual food." She opened a cupboard and found his cereal and a bowl. Grabbing a water bottle as well, she brought it all over to him so that he could designate the proper cereal to milk proportions.

When he was all taken care of, she stood in front of him. "I need to return to the lab. Will you be alright until I can come back this evening?"

"Yep, I'm good to go."

"Ok. Now, if you will rest this afternoon and not further strain your back, it is possible that much of your mobility will be restored by tonight, albeit with lingering discomfort."

"I get it, Bones. I'll be still."

"Yes…" She hesitated. "You're sure you'll be fine?"

"Peachy." He managed a half-hearted grin. "See you tonight. Are we gonna do those story things for Sweets?"

"That will depend on your level of drowsiness."

Deciding to simply act on the impulse she was having, she leaned down and pecked his forehead, blushing at the shock in his eyes as she drew back. "I remember that my father would do that when I was ill. It made me feel better."

His smile was soft as he looked up at her. "That's really nice, Bones. Thanks."

~B/B~

Monday 7:32 P.M.

Brennan walked up the stairs to her partner's apartment for the second time that day, laden down with bags filled with that night's dinner and a few staples to hold him over until one of them could go grocery shopping for him properly. It had been a long afternoon and he hadn't been answering her hourly calls the past three or four times she had made them. She assumed he was asleep, but still found it difficult to concentrate between thinking over their tension from that morning and worrying about the state of his back.

Pulling out her spare key, she opened his door.

"Booth? I'm back. Are you awake?" Brennan nudged the door closed with her hip, her eyes going directly to the couch. Booth was lying there, one arm hanging off the couch, the other arm draped over his stomach. His head was turned to the side, his mouth slack. He was still in his suit from earlier and it was rumpled around his big body now.

Smiling, she walked over to stand beside him, looking down at his face. She had no intention of waking him since sleep was the best possible thing for him now, instead carefully adjusting the therapeutic pillow he must have dug out after she had left earlier, and settling it into a more beneficial position.

Pulling the blanket down from the back of the couch, she covered him and went into the kitchen to put his dinner in the fridge and find something to leave him a note on. When she was done, she laid the note where he would be sure to see it as soon as he woke up.

He winced in his sleep, and she hesitated, perching herself on his coffee table. Even if the medicine he'd taken would probably keep him out for hours regardless, she didn't want to leave until he looked peaceful again. She watched him struggle to shift and couldn't help but notice the way his jaw looked when it clenched ever so slightly, or how appealing it was when he unconsciously ran his hand over his chest.

He stilled again and she chastised herself for her thoughts. He'd be horrified if he knew what she was thinking, and not just because he was uncomfortable with such topics. He'd be horrified because they were partners and partners didn't trace the lines of each other's musculature with their eyes – no matter how pleasing it was.

Shaking her head at her own weakness, she rose, adjusting his blanket once more and heading for the door. With one last glance over her shoulder, she let herself out, locking his door behind her.

~B/B~

Tuesday 5:12 A.M.

Booth woke up early, opening his eyes blearily and wondering where he was. The twinge in his back quickly reminded him and he craned his neck to look at his watch, deciding immediately that it was much too early for him to be awake.

He wanted to slip back into the deep sleep he had apparently been in for hours, but his stomach let out a loud protest that had him sitting up slowly and preparing himself to move into the kitchen.

Brennan's note caught his eye and he picked it up, holding it up to his bleary eyes.

_Booth, _

_I stopped by after work last night but you were asleep and I did not want to wake you. I briefly considered staying with you in case you required assistance, but I thought it might offend you. Also, it is my hypothesis that you will be quite sore but mobile when you awake. _

_I left your dinner in your fridge with heating instructions. There is also a slice of cherry pie as well, courtesy of the woman who normally waits our table at the diner. She would like you to know that she hopes you recover rapidly. _

_If I am incorrect in my hypothesis about your mobility, please call me. I would be quite willing to come over and assist you. I advise you do not go in to work tomorrow – or today, depending, of course, on when you read this. However I know you will likely not take that advice. Please let me know if you do go in to work. _

_I hope that your back muscles are recovering well. Remember to take your medication and to move slowly and as little as possible. _

_Temperance Brennan_

He smiled, his morning suddenly getting much better, at both the fact that she had left him a note to tell him that she had stopped by and at the news that there was food and pie in the refrigerator. Popping another dose of his pills, he tested her hypothesis and found her to be correct. His back hurt like crazy, but moving was much easier.

Steeling himself, he headed for the kitchen intent on a hamburger and pie for breakfast and a hot shower before work.

~B/B~

Tuesday 9:23 A.M.

Booth looked up at the light knock on his office door to find his partner standing there, appraising him. "Hey, Bones. That was quick."

"I left directly after we hung up." She approached his desk. "I brought over a copy of my testimony for Thursday's court date. I thought you might want to see it."

He raised his eyebrows. "Is that so?"

"Yes."

"Bones, I never look over your testimony. I don't even understand your testimony."

She didn't even bother to look ashamed at having been called out. "That's true. I was attempting to create a reason for visiting you other than to check on your back. I didn't want to crowd you."

He smiled. "You're not crowding me, Bones. And my back is doing a little better but I'm not sure how great of an idea it is to be here. This chair is a killer. My back actually felt better while I was walking across the parking lot."

Frowning, Brennan walked around his desk and leaned over, running her hand down the back of his chair. "Booth, this chair is entirely insufficient. The bureau should purchase you a different one immediately."

"Yeah, that's not gonna happen." He shifted uncomfortably. "It's fine, Bones. I'm just gonna get some of this work done here and then I'll head out. I was thinking I could set up camp on your couch this afternoon to get some of my other stuff done."

"That would be fine. Perhaps we could have lunch in my office and complete Sweets' assignment. Obviously you were unavailable last night."

"Sure." He looked up at her stiffly, but still managed a grin. "Hey, so what's your story gonna be?"

She shook her head, a small smile on her lips. "Don't even try, Booth." She headed for the door, not giving him a chance to pry further.

"Goody-goody!" He called after her.

~B/B~

Tuesday 1:17 P.M.

"Is this comfortable for you?" Brennan asked, as Booth settled back into the corner of his couch, resting his tired back and rolling his neck gingerly.

"It's better, yeah." He accepted his take-out box and sniffed it, a smile breaking out over his face. "Now this is what I needed. Nothing like a little comfort food to heal a back injury."

Brennan settled in at the other end of the couch, crowding herself against the side to give his long legs ample room. "Booth, the food has no medical properties. It won't heal you."

"You'd be surprised." He mumbled around his first bite. "Hits the spot."

"If you choose, you could sue the Jeffersonian Institute for damages that would allow you to better care for your injury since you won't allow me to assist you. Dr. Goodman was hopeful that you would not choose to do so, but it is fully within your rights."

"Geez, Bones, I'm not going to sue you, and I don't need better medical attention. I just need the drugs to do their job until my back heals itself. Oh, and I need you to not fire the idiot intern who left the package out in the first place. That would help a lot."

"Booth…" Brennan gave him a warning look that he returned with his own special version of a pitiful-me expression.

"Come on, Bones. He can't help that he's an idiot."

"He's actually quite intelligent."

"See? More reason not to fire him then." He forked another bite into his mouth and winked at her, clearly believing he'd recovered ground in the debate.

She narrowed here eyes. "I will consider rehiring him, if you will consider accepting monetary assistance from me."

"Nope." He lifted his fork and motioned for her to hush when she started to speak. "Not happening, Bones. You're not paying my doctor bills. No way."

"Your sense of masculine pride is misplaced in this case, Booth. You need to regain your health."

"Bones. No." Booth nudged the bottom of her takeout container with his foot. "Put something in your mouth."

She frowned in confusion. "Why?"

"So we won't have to talk about this anymore."

"Booth, just because I put food in my mouth…"

"Let it go, Bones. Ok?" He nudged her with his foot again. "Please? Let's just focus on our homework assignment. We're kinda running out of time here."

She nodded. "Fine. Would you like to tell your story first or would you like me to?"

He looked a little hesitant. "Mine is kinda personal." He confessed. "I figured he didn't really mean for us to swap funny moment stories, so I came up with something a little deeper. Actually, I'm kind of surprised we've never talked about it before."

"Mine could be considered more personal as well." Brennan crossed her legs, lifting a few grains of rice to her mouth with her chopsticks and chewing them thoughtfully. "I believe I would prefer to go first."

He nodded, gesturing for to go ahead. "Tell me a story, Bones."

"That was my intention." She reached over to her coffee table and handed him one of the legal pads resting there, flipping a few pages back so that he had a blank page. "You need to take notes."

She waited until he was ready, and then took a deep breath. "I don't discuss this topic much because, in all truth, it is unpleasant for me to think about too often. However, I too thought that the stories should be… deeper, as you said, and I thought you might appreciate hearing this."

She betrayed very few signs of nervousness, but he noted the occasional subtle movements that did betray her stress. "Bones, hey, it's me. Just talk."

She nodded and continued. "I do have a few memories of my life with my parents, before they abandoned me. My mother was a very intelligent woman and I always admired her for that quality, as well as others. In the evenings, she used to read books to Russ and me. The books were various genres and eras. Jane Eyre, War and Peace, Crime and Punishment." She smiled faintly. "The Secret Garden. That was always my favorite and we read it numerous times."

"That's really nice, Bones."

She nodded again, looking past him rather than at him. "Russ always became uninterested very quickly, but I would sit for hours and listen. She had a lovely speaking voice and those moments were the first that I recall a true fascination with learning."

Her eyes drifted back to his and locked. "Now… knowing what I know about her and who she really was, I find it difficult to reconcile that woman that I remember with the woman she turned out to be."

"Bones…"

She pressed on before he could interrupt. "However, I don't believe that people have the capacity to drastically change who they are, which leads me to believe that a love of learning was a dominant personality trait in my mother that she passed on to me." She looked down, poking her chopsticks idly into her food. "There are times, when I think about her in that way, that I feel close to her, despite the fact that she is dead."

"Bones…"

She didn't allow him to continue. "And when my mother's remains were identified three years ago…" Brennan looked down into her takeout container. "If you remember, you told me to go home and I did… but first I stopped by the library and borrowed several of the books we used to read most often."

Booth was struggling to sit up and Brennan shook her head. "Booth, no. You need to stay in that reclined position. I'm fine."

"Bones, come on, you can't just tell me something like that and expect me to stay over here."

"Yes, I can." She leaned over and pressed him back down, sighing when his hand clamped on to her wrist. "Booth, I don't require comfort. I didn't even read the books. I just… laid them on my nightstand in order to assist in the feelings of nostalgia I gave into."

"You never said anything." Booth released her wrist, covering her hand with his own. "I mean, I knew you were having a hard time, Bones, but you should have said something. You should have let me stay with you."

"We're not supposed to discuss the stories, Booth." Brennan reminded him, gently sliding her hand out from under his. "You're simply supposed to write down your thoughts so that you can share them with Sweets tomorrow."

"Bones…"

"I'm fine, Booth. It was three years ago and I have fully recovered from my temporary lapse in rational thinking. Have you written down your thoughts on the story yet or do you need a few moments?"

"I haven't written anything yet." Booth shifted, pulling the pad to him. "I'll play by the rules, Bones, but tomorrow we're going to finish talking about this. I've gone all these years not really ever knowing how you felt about your mom, and now… we're just gonna talk about it. Ok?"

"I can agree to that, but, honestly, Booth, you're overreacting."

Booth chose not to respond and scribbled for a minute before tearing off the top page and tossing the pad to her. "My turn. I've never told you why I decided to become an FBI agent, have I, Bones?"

"I assumed it was because your particular set of skills was compatible with the skills required for this profession."

He shook his head. "Not exactly. I was an army guy through and through and I always thought that was the only place I'd ever really belong. It was just fate that lead me to the FBI."

She frowned. "Booth, that's impossible. There is no such thing as fate. Events that people attribute to fate are often…"

He held up his hand to stop her. "Bones… just listen, ok?" When she hushed and nodded he continued. "I had been out of the army for about six months and the gambling was getting really bad. It was taking over me -I knew it. I could feel it and I hated that. But at the same time I loved it because the win was always such a rush. A success I could hold onto in a life that I felt was going nowhere. I was pretty messed up back then and gambling was all that made me feel better."

"Booth… "Brennan held his gaze, sadness etched in her features.

"Listen, Bones." He reminded her. "I knew I had to get my life back on track but I had no idea how to do that. I was in debt, caught in this cycle of winning some and losing more. I ran into this guy that I had spent a few weeks on assignment with. We hung out for a few weeks… just sort of wandering together, talking about the army and our lives after we left."

Booth lifted himself into a sitting position slowly, wanting to be closer to his partner to ease the concern he saw on her face. He reached his chopsticks into her takeout container to cover the real reasons for his actions and continued his story.

"Talking to him reminded me about what I had loved about being in the army – serving my country and protecting what I believed in. I wanted to do that again, but there was no way I was re-enlisting, not at that point. It took me a few months of looking around, doing research and a lot of thinking about what I wanted out life to figure out what I needed to do. I thought about being a cop and looked into a few jobs, but they were all local, small town jobs and that wasn't what I wanted."

"Why not?" Brennan interrupted him, startling him out of his reverie.

He looked over at her and shook his head. "No talking, Bones. Anyway, I decided I wanted to work directly for the federal government and after that… well everything just sort of fell into place. The application, the training – I sailed through all of it." He smiled at her, leaning his shoulder against hers. "And here I am, fifteen years later with a job that's perfect for me and the best partner a guy could ask for. Somehow along the way, I got my gambling under control, paid off my debts and became a father." He raised his eyes to hers and shrugged. "That's what I call fate, Bones. Fate."

"I'm glad that you overcame your urges to gamble in order to provide yourself with a sense of self-worth." Brennan held his gaze unwaveringly. "And though I can't attribute your success to fate, I am glad that circumstances worked out as they did. You are an excellent agent, Booth, and I'm thankful that we can work together."

Smiling, he reached his hand up and took her chin between his thumb and forefinger, bringing her face fractionally closer to his. "That's great, Bones. I'm glad you feel that way. There's just one thing…"

"What?"

"We're not supposed to talk about the stories afterwards. You broke a rule."

"I did not!" She protested, pulling away. "I didn't encourage you to elaborate or attempt to discuss the implications of your story."

He shook his head and grinned at her. "Too bad. Still counts. You're not Miss Perfect anymore."

Glaring at him, she pushed her take-out into his hand and picked up the notepad so that she could begin writing down her thoughts on the story. He tried to peak over her shoulder and she dug an elbow into his ribs, making him jerk and let out a pained yelp.

"Bones! Geez, my back!"

"You shouldn't have been looking over my shoulder." She told him snootily.

"So you tried to kill me?"

"You're overreacting again, Booth. Obviously, my actions held no possibility of injuring you fatally."

"Booones…" He leaned over her shoulder again. "Let me see."

"No! Booth, stop it." She pushed at him as he snaked and arm around her and rested his chin on her shoulder, still trying to get a look. Brennan held the pad protectively again her chest. "Booth, stop."

"But it would make my back feel better." He wheedled.

"That's impossible." She pushed at him again and he set his food down beside him on the couch before using the newly freed hand to hold hers still. Brennan sent him a dirty look. "Booth, you're in no condition to struggle against me. Your antics are going to get you further hurt."

"You wouldn't hurt an already injured guy, would you, Bones?" He winked at her and grabbed for the notepad. " "I can't help being curious… It comes naturally."

Brennan began to respond, but was interrupted by the sound of someone clearing their throat. Both partners turned to see Angela standing in front of them.

"Am I interrupting something?"

Booth eased away, removing his arm from around Brennan carefully.

"No, we were just finishing our therapy assignment." Brennan stated simply, offering no explanation.

Angela raised her eyebrows. "Now that is some good therapy. I think I need to start seeing Sweets…"

"Why?" Brennan tilted her head, looking up at her best friend. "Are you also having relationship issues?"

Angela laughed. "No, Sweetie. I just like to wrestle with boys on couches."

"Did you need something, Angela?" Booth muttered, shifting yet further away from his partner, feeling self-conscious.

"Yeah, I need to steal Bren. I've been working on some facial reconstructions for those Civil War remains you've been working on and they're done." Angela looked between the two partners again. "Actually, that could probably wait though."

"No need." Brennan stood up and smoothed her skirt down. "As I said, we're finished. Booth is just going to be working here for the afternoon because it's better for his back. His office chair is detrimental to his lower lumbar health."

"Ah." Angela was still grinning as she nodded. "Ok, well if you're sure you're done cuddling."

"We weren't cuddling, Angela." Brennan sent another glare in Booth's direction. "Booth was simply ignoring the rules."

Angela smirked. "Oh, I hope he was, Sweetie. I really, really hope he was."

~B/B~

Wednesday 8:12 A.M.

"It'll only take a minute, Bones." Booth assured her as he gimped towards his office. "What's the big deal? I just need to pick up a file so that I can head out straight after Sweets."

"We'll be late." She stated firmly, stepping in front of him and placing her hands on his arms.

He gave her a strange look. "Bones, we're all of five minutes from his office and our appointment is at 8:30." He moved around her, heading for his door. "Besides, what's he gonna do to us even if we are late?" He sent her a smirk over his shoulder as he opened the door to his office. "Yell at us?"

She didn't respond and he moved into his office, his eyes already trained on the file he needed. He picked it up and had nearly turned back around when he noticed the something different that had been nagging his subconscious since he'd walked into the room.

Behind his desk, where his small, stiff chair used to be, sat a much larger, much fancier desk chair that he had never seen before.

"Woah…" He murmured, stepping around his desk to look at it. Mentally, he catalogued the various features he saw. Everything was adjustable, it seemed. Back height, seat depth, arm height, the angle of the tilt. He played with the knobs on the side and then ran a hand over the soft cushioned back and seat. "Bones... check out this chair."

He turned to look at his partner and found her looking slightly uncomfortable and more than a little guilty. And it clicked. Her refusal to have dinner with him last night, her reluctance to come to his office this morning. His partner had gone out and bought him a chair for his office to help his back heal.

It was ridiculous how touched he was. He knew she probably believed she did it purely for the practical reason that she had the means to supply him with something she deemed necessary. But he knew better. It was her way of showing she cared. Her way of somehow, in the midst of all her oddities and social faux pas, finding just the right thing to do to make him feel like he was special.

"I love you." He blurted out without thinking.

She raised shocked, questioning eyes to him and the words hung between them for a long moment. He hadn't meant to say them, but they were uncategorically true. She was his best friend and an amazing person and he loved her with all his heart. Without even realizing it, he'd always sort of assumed that she knew that. But maybe she hadn't.

Smiling, he crossed over to her, pulling her into his arms and hugging her tight. "Dr. Temperance Brennan, you bought me a gorgeous, top-of-the-line chair, you little sneak. You are… amazing. Thank you." He turned his head and pressed his lips to her cheek. "I love it."

"Booth?"

He drew away enough so that he could look down at her face. "Yeah?"

"You love me?"

He smiled. "Of course I do, Bones. You know that." He pulled her back to him, holding her close again, feeling an overwhelming affection for her that had him rubbing his hand across her shoulders and down her back.

"Booth?"

"Hmm?"

"Why did you say that?"

"Say what, Bones?" He hedged, wondering for the first time if maybe he'd crossed their line without even realizing it.

She was silent and he recognized that as her way of calling him out.

"Because it's true. You're my friend, my closest friend, and you just did something amazing for me. You just bought me a chair, Bones. That's a big deal. And I love you for it."

She eased away, looking up at him, her head tilted curiously. "So you just began… loving me?"

He sighed. "No, not just now… I was just expressing…" He stopped and looked down at her. "Look, Bones, that was just my way of saying thank you. Of telling you how much I appreciate you. Of how glad I am that you're in my life. You can understand that, right?"

She thought for a moment. "So you said you love me in the way that Angela says she loves me." She surmised.

Something about her statement made him want to rebel against it and he couldn't imagine why. He settled for a noncommittal shrug. "Sure. Something like that."

She nodded. "Then, Booth?"

"Yeah?" He prompted her when she hesitated.

"I love you, too. And I'm pleased that you like your chair."

He grinned at her, feeling a strange tug at his heartstrings as she returned his statement of affection. He pulled her back to him and squeezed her as hard as his injured back would allow. "I love my chair, Bones. Have I mentioned that you're amazing? Because you are. Amazing. I can't believe you bought me this…"

"You needed lower lumbar support and they assured me at the store that an Ergonomic Chair was the best choice." She mumbled into his shoulder where he had trapped her face.

He released her reluctantly. "I have to sit in it before we go. Sweets can wait two more minutes. Ok, five"

He moved over to his chair and lowered himself into it, sighing in satisfaction as the pain in his back eased in response to the new support. "Perfect." He murmured blissfully. "The guys are gonna be so jealous."

Brennan smiled, watching him as he experimented with the chair's adjustable features. "Booth?"

"Not now, Bones. I'm busy worshipping."

"But we have Sweets." She reminded him. "And despite your earlier promises, we are running late."

He sighed, closing his eyes and leaning his head back one more time. "Fine, let's go." He started to get up and then his eyes snapped to her and he grinned. "You know what? I'm taking the chair with me."

"Booth…"

"Nope, no arguing, Bones." He began to scoot his chair towards the door. "Now you can walk with me or hop on, either way. But this chair is coming with us."

"Booth, this is ridiculous. That chair has no place in our session."

"Bones… don't insult my chair."

~B/B~

**So... obviously 5x01 hasn't happened yet, so this is my version of the "platonic" love confession which I happen to think is an essential component of their ever-evolving relationship. Granted, it's a little different in my version because Booth is still a little clueless... but I don't know, guys... I think he's catching on. What do you think? ;-) Anyway, I hope you're not screaming, OOC, OOC at your screen right now because that would be very sad... **

**I'd love to hear your feedback, as always. It really does make my day. =) **

**Next chapter... another Sweets session, another trust exercise, and some realizations on one of the partners' part... till then - review, review! =)  
**


	11. The Common Ground in the Stories

**A/N: Hello readers! =) So it's been a little longer than I meant for it to be - but that's the way things go as school approaches and there are things to be done! I'm still going to try to post twice a week for a little longer. **

**Thanks to everyone who reviewed last time! I loved hearing from you and I really appreciated the thoughtful responses I received. You guys really are the best and hearing from you is one of the best reasons to keep writing! =)**

**TRUST EXERCISES: So a lot of you have really responded well to the trust exercises and I'm so glad you like them. This one had to be changed slightly because I realized that pretty much all of the trust exercises I have in mind kind of can't be done with a bad back (little teaser there). So this chapter has a communication exercise, but I hope you guys still like it! I promise that Booth's back will be sufficiently healed by next session and we'll definitely have more trust exercises. =) **

**A million thanks to my beta Hannah Taylor1 who, despite her busy schedule, has still found the time to help immensely with this chapter. Go check out her fic, "Problem Solving, the Booth and Brennan Way." The chapter she just posted is very fun so go read it and leave her a review to spur her writing on! **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Bones! Really!  
**

~B/B~

Wednesday 8:26 A.M.

Lance Sweets leaned back in his desk chair, his feet propped up and his head tilted back, eyes closed. He passed his stress relief ball between his hands, squeezing systematically to relieve the tension that had been building in him as he waited for his first appointment to arrive.

His most interesting, complicated, volatile patients would be coming any moment and he was having a wave of self-doubt that was a surprising fall from the high he had been riding when they had left two days earlier.

If he was going to be utterly truthful – this was a truth zone after all – he would have to admit that he was playing fast and loose with some of his techniques. Granted, they were tested and proven methods, but using them to accomplish one goal while allowing his patients to believe he had set out to accomplish another was proving complicated.

The last session had gone so well and he had been holding his breath right along with the partners as they gravitated towards each other, eyes locked, hands linked. He'd observed with eager fascination as they heatedly discussed the paradox their goals had created. He had been unable to wipe the smile off of his face as he recognized the first seeds of realization take root in both of the partners.

But today's session… there was no guarantee it would go as well. The stories they would be discussing would determine the direction of the session and he was relying on his instincts and a whole lot of luck to allow him to direct the conversation where he wanted it to go. Leaving that much power in the partners' hands always made him nervous, especially since he had reached the point in his therapy experiment where it was time to stop pushing them apart and slowly draw them back together.

He trusted his ability to read his patients and therefore trusted his instincts that the stories and reactions they brought him would give him something to work with. But then again… these were Agent Booth and Dr. Brennan and they loved throwing him off track at every opportunity.

He looked up at the sudden sound in the hallway and he watched as Booth and Brennan approached the door, raising his eyebrows at the sight of Agent Booth in a desk chair with Brennan behind him, pushing. They stopped at the door, evidently continuing a discussion. Seconds turned into minutes and Sweets grew impatient, glancing at his watch and determining that they were definitely late.

Rising, he crossed his office to his door and pulled it open.

~B/B~

Wednesday 8:34 A.M.

"Check this out, Bones. Look, I can actually move the armrests up if I want to." Booth demonstrated his point as Brennan pushed him and his chair down the hallway towards Sweets' office. "See… up, and then… down. And up again. And now down just a little…"

"Booth, I understand the concept." Brennan said, keeping the amusement out of her voice. "I believe it is essentially the same idea as adjusting the seat height itself. Which you explained to me in the elevator. I am quite informed about your chair now."

"Yeah, but you don't get how cool it is. Or how jealous all the guys are going to be. You're just listening to be polite." Booth complained, still focused on the height of his armrests.

"I thought you would prefer that to what you have deemed my more blunt approach."

"True…" Booth conceded, twisting gingerly to see her. "But what would be really great is if you could actually be excited. Come on, Bones… try it. Get excited with me here."

"I am excited, Booth. I'm excited that you're pleased." She relented and gave him a smile. "Though I am significantly less excited that your insistence on bringing this chair has caused delays in arriving at our appointment. I'm going to tell Sweets it is your fault we are late."

"Hey, that's fine. Let the kid pout at me. I've got a cool chair."

Brennan pushed her partner up to Sweets door and started to move around him to open the door, when Booth stopped her.

"Uh, Bones? About earlier… the whole, you know, 'love you' thing. Not that it's a big deal or anything, but I don't think we should mention it to Sweets."

Brennan shook her head. "Of course not. His training in psychology would immediately lead him to draw an incorrect conclusion." She shrugged. "And it doesn't concern him."

"Great." Booth smiled up at her, a mischievous glint taking hold in his eyes. "Whadya say we mess with him a little, Bones. Just for fun."

Brennan frowned. "Why would we do that?"

"Because he messes with us for fun pretty much every session." Booth closed his eyes, thinking. Then his eyes flew open again. "Hey, let's tell him that I've been assigned to desk duty and was told to stay in my chair. So I'm obeying." He grinned at her. "Get it?"

"I don't understand why that is amusing."

"It just is, Bones! Because that would be a total overreaction… see?"

"Overreactions are amusing?" Brennan tilted her head in confusion. "That is not your usual stance on the subject."

"No… listen, Bones, it's just a joke."

"Well I don't think it's a very funny one."

"Fine, so what's your bright idea then?" Booth demanded sulkily.

"I think… that we should simply go in for our session now without attempting to be amusing." Brennan said dismissively as she began to reach for the door, faltering as it was jerked open just as she took hold of the knob. The sudden motion set her off balance and she stepped backwards, running into Booth's legs and plopping down onto his lap as he grabbed her waist to steady her.

The brief irritation he had been feeling towards her seconds earlier was pushed aside as Booth was suddenly faced with the softness of her body against and around his. He noticed the dip of her waist that his hands were resting in and the undeniable presence of her curves that were suddenly eye level and unavoidable.

He'd been this close and closer to her any number of times before but the surprise and the intimacy of their positions had somehow taken hold of him and… caused him to go insane. This was his partner, not some woman he was allowed to enjoy the feel and the look of.

"You ok, Bones?" Booth finally managed, trying to casually remove his hands from her waist instead of allowing them to wrap around her as they seemed to want to.

"Yes. Did I jar your back?"

"A little." He admitted, though his wince wasn't caused by pain as she shifted in his lap and attempted to reach her arm around him to feel his lumbar muscles, effectively pressing herself against him in the process. "Uh, Bones?" His voice was a little tighter than he meant for it to be. "Maybe you could check me after you stand up."

"Why? Is my weight causing additional pain, because if that's the case there may be…"

"No, no extra pain. Bones, just… maybe you could stand up." He gave her a gentle push, easing her off of him. "There we go."

She stood, but bent over him, insisting on feeling the muscles. "I don't believe any additional damage has been done."

"I'm not that delicate, Bones." He scoffed, shrugging her hands off in the hopes that if she would just stop touching him for a minute he'd regain control over his reactions. "I'm fine. No thanks to Sweets here who tried to take us both out for being a few minutes late."

Sweets, still standing open-mouthed in the doorway, pulled his focus from observing the fascinatingly telling scene unfolding before him and chimed in. "What are you guys doing out here?" His question was formed solely out of curiosity rather than the irritation he had felt earlier at their delay. He'd decided immediately upon opening the door that whatever was going on between the partners was more than worth a few minutes of delay.

"I would think it is obvious." Brennan answered. "My reflexes anticipated one action but were faced with another, causing momentary imbalance amplified by the proximity of Booth's legs."

"Uh-huh. I sort of meant the whole chair thing. See, usually I provide the seating." Sweets chuckled. "I mean, what's a psychologist without his signature couch?" Neither of the partners laughed and Sweets nodded. "Alright I'll just… " He cleared his throat, "The chair?"

"Booth has a special chair now."

"Bones bought it for me." Booth's grin was suddenly back. "Hey watch this, Sweets – the armrests go up and down."

"Fascinating. Why don't you guys come on in."

~B/B~

Wednesday 8:48 A.M.

Sweets steepled his fingers, leaning forward and looking at his patients. "So Agent Booth threw out his back tripping over something in the lab, so you, Dr. Brennan, fired an intern and bought him an expensive chair."

"Technically he didn't throw out his back. He merely strained the lower lumbar region, which is a much less significant injury. But essentially you are correct, yes." Brennan confirmed.

"Why do we have to keep going over this?" Booth asked, stretching his legs out in front of him and leaning his head back. "It seems pretty simple to me."

"It's interesting." Sweets said with a small smile. "That's all. We can move on to our session now, but we'll have to have a slight change in plans. The trust exercise I had planned requires a level of activity that Agent Booth probably isn't down with at the moment."

"Activity?" Booth asked suspiciously. "What kind of activity?"

Sweets shook his head. "No, we'll do that next time. Let's try something a little different today. It's not so much a trust exercise as a communication exercise, but it does work to build trust between you in the long run."

"Booth and I don't have trouble communicating." Brennan interjected.

Booth let out a laugh. "Yeah, if anything we communicate too much. Like all the time."

"Your communication isn't always effective though." Sweets pointed out, warming up to his idea. "What I want us to do is a reflexive listening exercise."

"That's redundant." Brennan interjected. "All hearing is reflexive by definition."

"Reflexive _listening_." Sweets emphasized. "Reflexive listening is a technique used to help people make sure they're actually communicating. Basically, one of you will make a statement that you really want the other person to hear…" Sweets held up his hand when Brennan began to interrupt again, "Dr. Brennan, it really isn't necessary to continue to correct me. Remember we discussed that particular social faux pas before?" He waited for her nod before he continued.

"As I was saying, one person will make a statement and the other person will then verbalize what they believe they've heard. This continues until both people agree on the meaning of the words spoken. Do you guys get it?"

"It's not rocket science, Sweets." Booth said drolly. "Let's just get this party started."

"Oh, I see. A party game." Brennan nodded, the confusion on her face clearing. "That makes a great deal more sense."

"No," Sweets said tightly. "It's not a party game, Dr. Brennan. It's a therapeutic technique, and it's quite useful."

Brennan shrugged. "I find Booth's assessment more accurate."

Agitated, Sweets leaned forward, intent on making her understand. "That wasn't an assessment! Agent Booth was just…"

"Uh, Sweets?" Booth interrupted. "You can explain it all day and it's not going to matter. Party game, therapy technique, whatever. Let's just get on with it."

"Fine." Sweets pinched the bridge of his nose. "Fine, ok. Agent Booth, turn towards Dr. Brennan and tell her something that you want her to hear. Something you've never been able to communicate effectively to her before. And Dr. Brennan, make sure that you really listen and try to understand what he means because you'll be repeating it back to him when he's done."

Booth twisted his chair around so that he was facing his partner and cleared his throat. "Uh… hmm." He managed.

"Take your time." Sweets instructed. "Make the exercise worthwhile."

Booth shifted in his seat. "I don't know about this. It feels weird now."

"Just go ahead. Pretend it's just you and Dr. Brennan alone in a room. I'm not here. Tell her something you need her to hear."

Booth nodded slowly. "Sure. Whatever." He thought for a moment and then took a deep breath. "Bones… uh, I hate it when you badmouth God and stuff." He said quickly. "You can't do that with me around."

"Booth…"

"Uh-uh." Sweets held up a hand. "Don't respond, yet, Dr. Brennan. Tell Agent Booth what you heard him say using your own words."

"That's a paradox. I can't tell him what he said and use my own words." Brennan frowned. "I think that I should veto this game, Dr. Sweets. It seems nonsensical."

Sweets sighed. "Just… rephrase what he said using your own words. Tell him what you think he means."

Brennan let out a sigh of her own and turned back to Booth. "Booth, you stated that you would like for me to change my beliefs in regard to religion for your personal comfort."

"No! Bones… that's not what I said at all." Booth leaned towards her, cringing slightly at the pull on his back. "I'm not asking you to change anything."

"Good." Sweets nodded. "Now, Agent Booth, express yourself again now that you've heard Dr. Brennan's interpretation of your last statement. See if you can communicate more clearly."

"Bones," Booth made sure he held his partner's gaze as he spoke. "When you insist on insulting my religion to my face, I don't like it. I'm not asking you to change your beliefs; I'm asking you to respect mine."

"But…"

"Dr. Brennan!" The exasperated exclamation escaped Sweets and earned him a dirty look from Booth. "Dr. Brennan," He said more calmly. "Tell Agent Booth what you heard him say. Not exactly – but in your own words"

"Booth, you said that you would rather I didn't express my thoughts and beliefs because they contradict yours…"

Brennan stopped talking but Sweets acted on instinct and urged her on. "Go ahead and continue your thought."

"… and you consider your right to express your beliefs to be more important than mine."

"Bones, that's not true."

"Then how do you explain the fact that you feel perfectly free to discuss God and religion at any moment and yet you do not want me to feel free to voice my own opinions?"

Sweets sat back in his chair, making the executive decision to let the exercise go for the moment in the interest of seeing how they would fare discussing the topic on their own now that they were caught up in the topic.

"I…" Booth faltered. "Ok, so it's not so much that I mind you saying what you believe… I just don't like it when you throw it in my face. Sure, Bones, if you're just sitting there thinking about not believing in God and you want to say something about it, go ahead. But if I say something about my religion and you act like it's stupid then, yeah, that upsets me." Booth took a deep breath. "I just think a little respect on both ends would be good."

Brennan nodded. "I agree. I respect your right to believe whatever falsehood you choose to and you respect my right to refrain from doing so."

Booth groaned and dropped his head into his hand. "See, Bones? It's stuff like that. My belief is false and your belief is abstinence from… falseness. Meaning you're right and I'm wrong."

Brennan frowned. "But don't you believe that you're right and I'm wrong? That's only natural, Booth."

"Maybe, Bones. But I care about your feelings, so I don't go out of my way to put down what you believe at every opportunity. All I'm asking is that you take my feelings into consideration and try not to make me uncomfortable."

Brennan thought for a moment. "So, out of concern for you, I should make my statements about my beliefs at more opportune times and in a less blunt fashion."

"That would be… great, Bones."

Brennan nodded. "I can do that, Booth. It's not my desire to offend you. Only to retain my right to express my opinions."

"That's fine." Booth smiled at her. "I would never want to take that away from you, Bones."

Brennan returned his smile. "I know."

"Thanks, Bones."

Sweets let a moment of silence fill the room before he interjected himself back into the conversation, surprising both partners as they turned to look at him again. "That was crazy awesome. You guys were really listening to each other and you made progress on a huge issue."

"Yeah, sure." Booth shrugged, settling back into his chair, his demeanor carefully casual. "No big deal."

Sweets nodded knowingly. "Sure." He said with a small smile. Reluctantly, he checked his watch."Ok, we need to move on, but that went so well that we'll come back to it in later sessions and you guys should feel free to use the technique even when you're on your own if an argument or some other issue comes up."

"I don't think it would be appropriate for us to play party games at work." Dr. Brennan shook her head, looking at Booth for support.

"Let it go, Sweets." Booth smirked. "Let it go."

"Yeah." Sweets gave a tight nod. "Alright then. Dr. Brennan, why don't you go ahead and tell me the story you told Agent Booth for this session."

~B/B~

Wednesday 9:07 A.M.

"…and for a time I allowed myself an illogical attachment to the books as a symbol for my former attachment to my mother." Brennan finished her story and fell silent, obviously waiting for Sweets' reaction.

Booth had long since abandoned his chair, now sitting close to her on the couch, his arm resting behind her. He gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze.

"You ok, Bones?"

"Fine." She said instantly. "As I was before, when I first told you the story."

"Ok, Agent Booth, this is when you get to give your feedback. Though I'd like to go ahead and point out that this story obviously worries you. Your protective instincts are coming off wicked strong right now."

"Well, yeah, I mean, I remember those weeks. I remember looking at you, Bones, and knowing you were hurting and that you wouldn't talk to me. I hated that."

"There was nothing to talk about." Brennan shrugged. "I was handling the events perfectly well."

"Was that your primary reaction to the story, Agent Booth?" Sweets asked. "Regret that she hadn't confided in you sooner?"

Booth shifted and pulled a piece of paper out of his pocket, offering it to Sweets. "Sort of. Not really. I guess my first reaction was that the story showed how far Bones has come, how far we've both come, since we first started working together."

Sweets nodded, perusing the paper. "In what way?"

"Well, like I said, Bones didn't talk to me much then. But she does now. When she's upset we can talk about it and I like that. I like that she's become more confident in me and in us."

"Alright. That's not all you wrote down though." Sweets prompted.

Booth looked at Brennan sheepishly, talking directly to her now. "And I liked that the story showed your more sensitive side. I liked hearing that you wanted to connect with your mom even knowing she was … you know, dead. Usually you just tell me that there's no point in trying to connect with people who are dead, but you did. In your own way, you did and that means your mom was important to you. Your family was important to you."

Brennan nodded. "Of course my family is important to me, Booth."

"Yeah, sure." Booth nodded. "But sometimes it feels like you don't think you need family. Like all you need is your work. I'd hate it if you really felt that way, Bones."

"I have become more… open to the idea that there are people I enjoy having in my life." Brennan admitted. "And while it was an option, I enjoyed having my mother in my life. I occasionally even allow myself to temporarily wish that she still could be." She held up a hand. "Temporarily, of course, because there's no point in dwelling on fantasy."

"Of course."

"That's a great insight for both of you. Really great." Sweets said happily. "Everything you just said indicates that your relationship has progressed over the years and that Dr. Brennan has grown as a result of being more open to the idea of people being important in her life. Let's just keep right on moving. Agent Booth, you're next."

~B/B~

Wednesday 9:19 A.M.

"…And I've been an FBI agent ever since." Booth finished his story. He'd taken his arm down from around Brennan, but they still sat close, his shoulder brushing hers from time to time. He looked at her now. "No better job. I get a partner and a gun and an awesome chair. I'm pretty much set for life."

"And more importantly, you brought your gambling under control and took charge of your life." Brennan added. "You overcame your challenges."

"Yeah." Booth smiled at her. "I did."

"I've never heard that story either, Agent Booth." Sweets mused. "It's very interesting, the way you just kind of stumbled into this job. You seem so natural at it that it seems like you always meant to be an FBI agent."

"Interesting, normal person-interesting, or interesting psychologist-interesting?" Booth narrowed his eyes.

"Both." Sweets said without elaborating. "Dr. Brennan, what was your reaction to this story?"

Brennan reached down and pulled her own piece of paper out of her purse and handed it to Sweets. The therapist took it, but urged her on. "Go ahead and explain out loud as well."

"I thought that the story demonstrated crucial aspects of Booth's character such as his desire to better himself and to be more worthy. I admire both of those qualities and I think that they are largely responsible for making Booth the good man that he is today."

"Thanks, Bones." Booth bumped her shoulder with his, smiling at her.

Sweets looked up from reading Brennan's notes and trained his eyes on her. "Dr. Brennan, there's more here."

Brennan nodded. "Yes." She turned to Booth. "I have to confess that I was glad when I heard about your struggle after leaving the army. Obviously I am regretful of any pain or confusion that you suffered through, but considering that there is nothing I can do to change that now, I am relieved that you did indeed suffer through those circumstances."

"Ok…" Booth's brow furrowed in confusion. "Is there a reason you're glad…?"

"Yes." Brennan said again. "My job was what gave me purpose again. Something to direct my life, something to strive for and take command of. After I was released from the system I was temporarily confused as to the direction I wanted to go, but then I found forensic anthropology and, like you described in your story, it was the right thing for me to do."

Brennan shrugged, looking up to meet his eyes. "When I heard your story I – perhaps illogically – felt closer to you because we share in the fact that our jobs are what saved us and defined us during a time in which we didn't know who we were. I like that we have that in common."

"Bones…" Booth drew a deep breath and closed his hand over hers, "That makes it all worth it, you know?"

Sweets sat back in his chair, legs crossed, and watched the partners interact, wondering if they were even aware of their intimate posture as they sat pressed side to side, hands linked, faces close. Whether or not they realized it, though, was the least of his concerns at the moment. He was far more focused on not jumping out of his chair and pumping the air with his fist.

The session he had planned for the day turned out to not be even remotely close to the one that had occurred and he couldn't be happier about it. The communication exercise had paid off in spades and, though the story exercise could have gone in almost any direction or simply flopped altogether, it had been a bigger success than he could have hoped for. Both of their stories had demonstrated that underneath it all, they had a deep connection, a common ground. It was something he'd always hoped and suspected, but was thrilled to have confirmed.

After last week's confusing session, they'd probably be just as thrilled to learn it as well.

"Guys, if you could focus on me for another couple of minutes, we'll be done here." Sweets leaned forward in his seat, watching as Booth released Brennan's hand and they both shifted subtly apart.

"We're all ears." Booth prompted.

"Awesome. I just wanted to say that this session went really, really well. Like off the charts crazy good."

Brennan frowned. "Are you sure? Because I felt that the session was rather unproductive. We simply repeated our stories and discussed them."

"Yeah," Sweets leaned further forward, "But were you guys listening to yourselves? What you found today was common ground. Last week showed you how far apart you are and this week you're starting to come back together. That's awesome progress. You have a strong basis to work off of. Your jobs are important to both of you – they define you. And you're part of each other's jobs, so you're defined by each other. And Dr. Brennan admitted to a desire to have people that play important roles in her life. People like you, Agent Booth."

Sweets looked between the partners, taking in the way their eyes shifted towards each other during the pause. "That's a place to start. You've got more in common than you thought."

Booth smiled at his partner. "I guess we do."

Brennan nodded, returning his soft smile, before she turned her attention back to Sweets. "I agree with your assessment, Sweets, but I don't know that it makes our therapy session a success considering we are supposed to be reducing the closeness of our relationship in order to form additional relationships. By those standards, today we have failed."

Sweets shook his head. "We didn't fail. When your relationship is whole and healthy then other attachments, in whatever form they come, will begin to grow. Our goal is to work on the two of you and let whatever happens, happen."

Brennan considered this for a moment. "I suppose I can see the logic of that approach."

Sweets smiled. "And you, Agent Booth? Are you happy with our progress?"

"Huh? Sure." Booth shrugged. "Whatever you say, doc."

"Good. Your assignment for next session is that both of you need to teach the other something new. Don't make it something totally obvious, like reading bones, Dr. Brennan. Or shooting, Agent Booth. Something different. Something that you can help the other learn."

Sweets took it as another indicator of progress when both partners merely nodded instead of arguing.

"Next time we'll be devoting most of our time to a few trust exercises since there won't be much to discuss from your assignment. But we're done for now. You guys are free to go. Same time again on Friday."

"Yeah, baby!" Booth rose from the couch and set himself down in his chair again. "To the office, James."

"Who is James?" Brennan frowned, taking her place behind his chair.

"It's just a phrase, Bones. James is like a universal name for a chauffeur or something. You're James."

"Is this another party game? A role playing one?"

"Bones, we should get out of Sweets office before you say the phrase 'party game' again. He's going to pull out his Nerf gun and shoot us."

"A Nerf gun?"

"You have GOT to be kidding me!" Booth nearly shouted as they worked together to hold the door open while getting the chair through. "Ok, Bones, that's what I'm teaching you. You and me and a couple of Nerf guns."

"It sounds very interesting. What language does Nerf originate in? I can't seem to place it."

"The language of fun, Bones. It comes from the language of fun."

~B/B~

Wednesday 11:54

Booth walked in to the lab, his eyes already trained on the forensic platform where he could see his partner bent over an examination table, her lab coat firmly in place, her hair neatly tied back. Somehow his eyes drifted from the strong line of her jaw, down her neck to her sloping shoulders. Most of the rest of her body was covered up, and he was grateful considering he seemed to have no control over his eyes steady progression downwards.

_Geez, tell a woman you love her, have her land all soft and warm in your lap and you lose all the ability you've been honing for four years not to ogle her. _

He shook his mind clear, firmly reminding himself that Temperance Brennan was a dangerous woman to look at. And not just because she'd kick him in the gut if she caught him, but because there was no way he could allow himself to think about her that way even a little bit. She was a beautiful woman and there had been a time, long, long ago when he wouldn't have hesitated to act on the attraction between them.

But that was before spending four years carefully crushing that instant reaction he'd had to her. This was no time to be slipping up now.

"Bones!" He called to her, swiping his card and cursing his back for making him hobble up the steps. "Come on, lunch time. You and me. Somewhere special. Anywhere you want to go as long as they have one normal dish for me."

"What's the occasion, Agent Gorgeous?" Angela smirked, sliding off her stool in front of the large computer and sidling over. "Or is it a just-because-I-want-you date?"

Booth glared at her. "Ha Ha, Ange. It's a thanks-for-buying-me-a-crazy-awesome-chair date. I mean lunch. It's a lunch. To say thank you. For the chair. That's all."

"Oh." Angela sighed in disappointment. "That's awfully boring."

"Yeah, well , too bad for you." Booth turned back to Brennan. "Hey, I said come on. Let's go, Bones. My treat."

"Booth, I'm in the middle of identifying this Civil War soldier." Brennan murmured distractedly. "I can't leave at the moment."

"Oh." Booth moved up behind her, looking over her shoulder. "I bet he'll still be dead when we get back."

"Of course he will."

"So then let's go! Come on, Bones, I want to thank you." He put on his charm smile, but she wasn't looking at him.

"You've thanked me numerous times, Booth. There's no need to take me to a fancy lunch." Brennan finally looked up at him, sparing him a smile. "It was my pleasure to buy you the chair."

"Oh, for heaven's sake!" Angela butted herself between the partners, taking Brennan's arm. "Sweetie, go to lunch with Booth. No man should be denied the right to thank a woman for a gift. It's like a… thing. You have to go. I'm forcing you."

"Angela!"

"No arguments." Angela smiled at her friend as she pulled her away from the examination table and peeled off Brennan's gloves. "Unbutton your lab coat. Come on. Chop, chop!"

Brennan glared, but complied, worried that Angela might take the task upon herself if she didn't. "Angela, this is ridiculous."

"No. It's common sense. A man wants to take you to a fancy meal, you accept. That's a rule from now on." Angela slid the lab coat off of Brennan's shoulders and draped it over her own arm. "There. Fluff your hair out a little in the car, smooth down that blouse and you're good to go."

Turning, Angela presented Brennan to an amused Booth. "Your date, G-man." Reaching out, she took Booth's hand and placed it on Brennan's. "Now you two have fun and don't stay out too late. Mr. Civil War will be waiting up."

"Angela…" Brennan tried once more.

"Come on, Bones." Booth cut her off, deciding to take advantage of the opportunity while he could. "This is really important to Angela."

Brennan sighed. "I can't imagine why." She muttered, even as she allowed him to rest his hand on her back, guiding her out the door. "But if you really are willing to go anywhere, there is an excellent vegetarian restaurant a few blocks away."

~B/B~

**So I hope it was worth the wait! For those of you who were guessing about the realization I referred to last time - in case you didn't catch it it was Booth realizing that he's still dealing with fighting against his attraction to Brennan even after four years of squelching it. His denial has been holding strong so far but it's cracking a bit and I'm betting it'll keep on cracking. ;-) **

**So the next chapter is them teaching each other things and then the next session will be chapter 13. **

**You guys are always so wonderful about reviewing so I know I don't even have to ask. I'll just remind you that it means SO much to me when you do review. =) Thanks for reading!  
**


	12. The Learning in the Contortion

**A/N: Hello readers! =) It's finally that time again - time for another update! Slight change in plans though... this chapter with the teaching assignment sort of expanded beyond my expectations. So... rather than give you a 12,000 word chapter, I've split it in two sections. This chapter goes through Brennan's teaching opportunity and then Booth's teaching opportunity will be chapter 13 We should pick back up with another therapy session in chapter 14. **

**I would like to thank all the readers who took time to review the last chapter. It really means a lot to me to hear from you and I try my best to respond to each of you individually because your comments are important to me! That being said, reviews are slightly down again. I'm not complaining, promise! I would just like to know if it's because people are getting busy or if there's something I could be doing to keep my readers a little happier and more review-inclined. =) So if you're happy with the story, please let me know so that I can keep writing what you like. And if you're not happy with the story, please let me know that too! I'm always up for suggestions. =) **

**Thank you to Hannah Taylor1 who is still making time in her busy schedule to look over my work before I post it. Her input has been invaluable to me and you should all be reading her fic, "Problem Solving, The Booth and Brennan Way." And make sure you leave her a review too! She is really working herself hard to keep posting chapters for her story and she deserves lots of praise and thanks for it! =)**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Bones. But thank you to all of you who have suggested I buy out Hart Hanson and take over the show. ;-)  
**

Wednesday 12:31 P.M.

"Alright, alright, so this isn't _that _bad." Booth conceded as he took another bite of his vegetarian lasagna. "It'd be a whole heck of a lot better with some meat in it, but I think I'm gonna live through it. How's yours?"

"It's excellent." Brennan offered him her fork, topped with eggplant parmesan. "Would you like to try some?"

"Bones, I'm eating vegetarian lasagna. That's noodles and sauce and cheese and… vegetables. Let's not push it too much all at once, ok?"

"Fine, but you could at least offer me a bite of yours."

He grinned, stabbing her a piece. "I'm used to you just taking what you want. Here."He lifted his fork to her mouth and eased the bite inside. "Like it?"

"It's excellent." She carefully spoke around the food. "This place is quite good."

"Yeah, their bread is kind of amazing." Booth bit off half of a roll, chewing happily. "So," He managed after he'd swallowed. "What are you teaching me, Bones?"

"What?"

"Teaching me. What are you teaching me? For Sweets' assignment thingy. Because let me just tell you right here and now – I am not doing anything weird. There will be no… dead people stuff. I'm not learning how to do an autopsy or anything like that."

"Booth, I don't do autopsies. That's Dr. Saroyan. And even if I did, Sweets indicated that what we teach each other should not be in the realms of our respective expertise." She took a sip of her water. "I have decided on something else entirely, though I would prefer to keep it a secret for the moment."

His eyes shifted to hers warily. "A secret? What kind of a secret, Bones?"

"Are there multiple forms of secrets?"

"Well, yeah. There's the I-just-like-to-surprise-you secret that the person being surprised will enjoy. Then there's the you'll-never-agree-to-this secret that a person keeps so that the other person doesn't bail." He raised his eyebrows, and pointed his fork at her. "Yours is the second kind."

She frowned as she admitted, "Yes. It is. But you can't… bail, as you put it. You have to participate."

"Booones." He whined, leaning towards her. "Be nice."

"I'm being quite nice, Booth. You just won't realize it at first."

He cocked his head. "Ok, now I'm curious."

"Then I suppose you will have to schedule a time to come over so that I can assuage your curiosity." She smiled at him and speared one of the green beans in butter that he had ordered with his lasagna, eating it slowly. "This… Nerf gun you've been speaking about. It seems as though it will require a certain level of physical fitness."

Booth chuckled. "You're plenty fit, Bones."

"No," She said ruefully, "My concern was for you, Booth. With your back."

"Oh." He thought for a moment. "Yeah, that could be a problem. I'm not quite back at 100% yet."

"I was thinking that perhaps I could teach you this evening and we could postpone your gun war until tomorrow evening, giving your back over twenty-four hours to continue to heal. Would that be acceptable?"

"Yeah, that should be fine." He nodded, slouching back in his chair and resting his hand on the back of hers. "And even if I'm not totally back, it should still be ok. Nerf gun wars aren't that taxing."

Brennan raised her eyebrows. "Are you positive that this is allowed? Sweets specifically stated that you weren't to teach me to shoot. Not that you could, considering I'm already an excellent shot."

"Nah, this is different, Bones." He grinned at her. "Just wait until you see a Nerf gun. You'll understand."

"Perhaps. I will withhold judgment." Brennan narrowed her eyes, seemingly unconvinced. "But for tonight, could you be at my place by eight o'clock? There's no need to bring anything. I will provide all the necessary materials."

"Necessary materials…?" Booth tapped her between the shoulder blades. "What are you planning, Bones?"

"Eight?" She ignored him, pressing her point.

"Yeah, yeah eight" He agreed with a sigh. "But I'm trusting you here, Bones."

"A wise choice." She placed the last bite of her lunch into her mouth and laid her fork on her plate. "I'm sorry, but I need to return to the lab, Booth. Thank you for lunch. The food was excellent."

"Hey, anytime, Bones." He dropped his hand from the back of her chair after briefly laying it on her shoulder and giving her an easy squeeze. "Thank you for my chair. It was way above and beyond anything you needed to do."

"I was glad to do it, Booth. You really don't have to keep thanking me."

He signaled for the waiter and then surprised Brennan by leaning over and pecking her high on her cheekbone. "That was the last thank you. Promise. Well, after I pay for lunch. That's the actual last thank you."

Brennan smiled, indulging him for once. "Fine, but I'll hold you to that."

~B/B~

Wednesday 4:39 P.M.

Immersed in paperwork, Booth's first reaction to the sound of his phone going off was confusion, followed quickly by irritation. Digging through the papers on his desk to find it, he flipped his phone open, answering it with a brusque, "Booth."

Sighing, he leaned back in his chair and hit his fist silently on his desk. "Yeah, ok. Sure." He paused, waiting for the agent on the other end to finish giving the details. "Right. Thirty minutes – we'll be there."

He pressed the end button and immediately called Brennan, standing up and collecting his keys and his suit coat.

"Bones! Hey, I'm swinging by to pick you up. We landed a case. Be ready in ten, ok?"

He was half-way down the hall before he was able to get another word in.

" Yes, Bones, I'm fine to be in the field. Quit fussing. See you in a few – oh and pack your space suit."

He grinned at the reaction he imagined her having to his last request and wondered if she'd have figured out what he meant before he actually got to her.

~B/B~

Wednesday 5:17 P.M.

"So a couple of kids were hanging out around the river – skipped out on school early and were having a little shindig down by the water. Cops confiscated beer by the truckload. Anyway, they're hanging out and one of them dares a guy to jump in the river naked."

"Why?" Brennan interrupted, her brow furrowed. "This particular waterway is quite polluted."

"Did you miss the part about the skipping school and the underage drinking? Not sure they care about a little pollution. Anyway, so he strips down and jumps in the river and guess what he lands on."

"Considering this is a case we've been called in on, I would assume it was a set of remains."

"You really are a genius." He sent her a grin. "Yeah, so he lands straight on this half-decayed skull. Pretty sure there's more pollution in the river now, if you know what I mean." He glanced over at her again. "You don't know what I mean. Never mind."

"I hope he didn't compromise the remains." Brennan frowned. "He could find himself in a great deal of trouble if he did."

"Bones, you can't blame a guy for jumping onto a skull he didn't know was there." Booth pulled up to the already taped off scene and threw the truck into park. "I made sure that the forensics team left the remains in the water 'cause I figured you'd want to see them before they'd been moved. Hence the space suit."

"This is not a space suit, Booth." Brennan hopped down from the passenger seat and retrieved her kit. "As I told you before…"

"Yeah, yeah." He held his hands up in surrender. "I remember. Let's just get crackin' cause suddenly your place and whatever surprise you have in store is sounding a lot better than my other options."

The partners headed for the crime scene and Booth introduced them to the police that were on scene, explaining what Brennan was going to be doing. Before he could finish, Brennan had already waded into the water and was holding up the slimy skull for inspection. Booth finished getting the crime scene details and talked to the kids that had discovered the body while keeping an eye on his partner in case she waved him over.

"Booth!" She finally called to him, and he excused himself, heading her way.

"Whatcha got, Bones?"

"The remains are incomplete. I am missing the left femur, fibula, tibula…"

"Bones, tell me in English what you're missing so I can have people look for it."

"I'm missing the left leg, ankle and foot."

"Why?" He peered down into the water, his hands on his hips, his shoes carefully placed just behind the muddy bank.

"There's no way for me to answer that question, Booth. Not with the evidence I have at the moment. But I can tell you that he was fully intact at the time of his death. It is reasonable to assume that the natural motion of the river is responsible for the separation of the bones. You should have your team look down-stream."

"Got it." Booth made a couple of notes on his ever present scraps of paper. "He?"

"Yes," Brennan gestured down at the remains. "This is a male of Asian descent. His age was somewhere between twenty-eight and thirty-five years. The cause of death is not immediately apparent. I'll need the bones transferred back to the lab and I'm sure Hodgins will want to come out and take samples from the area."

Booth made more notes. "Fine. Ok." Looking over his shoulder, he gestured to the waiting team. "You heard the doc. Get this all back to the Jeffersonian. Chop chop!"

~B/B~

Wednesday 7:42

"Bren? Can I get started on the facial reconstruction yet?" Angela strode up the stairs to the platform where Brennan was bent over the remains and Booth was leaning impatiently against the railing, his head tilted back. "I don't mean to be demanding or anything, but I kind of have a lot of plans for the next twelve hours before I have to be back here again. Plans that definitely do not include poring over tissue markers for any longer than necessary."

"Mr. Nigel Murray placed the tissue markers and I have accepted them as accurate." Brennan didn't look up from her work.

"Great." Angela moved over to the skull and picked it up carefully. "Hey, you're not planning on staying here much longer, right? It's almost eight o'clock, Sweetie. There's not much else you can do tonight."

"That's what I've been telling her for an hour, Angela." Booth lifted his head and rolled his eyes. "It's two against one, Bones. We'll hit the ground running in the morning, but let's go home now. Besides… if we don't stay on schedule with these assignments we'll never get them done…" He taunted her, drawing closer and raising his eyebrows at the glare she sent him. "Hey, you're the one who's a stickler for assignments, not me. If you're ok with slacking off, then sure, fine, whatever. Let's work all night."

Angela put her free hand on her hip, tilting her head. "And what assignment do you two have tonight?"

"Tell her, Bones."

"It's a secret for the moment, Angela." Brennan's tone remained business-like despite both of her best friends' sudden desire to tease her. "Sweets has asked that Booth and I teach each other a skill of our choosing as long as it is not related to our work. Tonight is my turn."

"Oh, now that has so much potential." Angela gushed, forgetting the task she had been in such a hurry to complete. "I just thought of about a million things you could teach him, Bren. And trust me, Booth, you'd love every single one of them."

"Uh-huh. That's great Angela, thanks." Booth glared at the artist and grabbed her shoulders, turning her towards the stairs. "Didn't you have work to do?"

"It could wait."

"Sounded pretty urgent to me." He gave her a light push. "Be gone."

"If you two wanted to be alone you just had to say so." Angela delivered her parting shot with a wicked grin over shoulder. "Ta-ta!"

"Bones."

"Yes?"

"Bones."

"What, Booth?"

"Bones…"

Brennan looked up in frustration. "Booth, I am answering you! What do you want?"

"I want to go home." He pouted at her and batted his eyes. "We've done all we can do for tonight. Even if we got an ID on the guy… there's no way we could go talk to his family right now or anything."

Sighing, Brennan crossed her arms over her chest. "It is important that I complete my exam before stopping for the night, Booth."

Booth let out a defeated gust of air and hung his head. "Ok, ok. Finish your exam."

"I wasn't finished with my statement. It is important that I finish my exam, but you could conceivably leave now…"

"Not without you, Bones. You'll never leave if I don't stay here."

Brennan acted like she didn't hear him. "… pick up some dinner and let yourself into my apartment. You left a pair of your sweatpants and t-shirt with me a few months ago and, rather than returning them, I stored them in the chest under the window. It's the chest with the extra blankets. You'll want to change into those before I arrive."

"But, Bones…"

"Since I will be aware that you are waiting for me, I won't be inclined to become caught up in my work and will leave as soon as possible. It's the most time efficient option, Booth."

He considered it for a moment, narrowing his eyes at her. "And this isn't some plot to get rid of me so you can work all night?"

"No." She smiled. "I'm very much looking forward to what I have planned for the evening."

"Oh yeah?" He returned her smile, leaning on the examination table and earning himself a sharp look and a slap on the wrist that had him straightening back up.

"Yes. I think it will be both beneficial and… enjoyable."

There was a slight impishness to her grin that made him suspicious, but he let it go, knowing that the fastest way to find out what she was planning was to get her to her apartment.

"Alright, fine, Bones. We'll do it your way. What's your poison? Thai, Chinese, Pizza? Diner?"

"Thai." She turned back to the remains and resumed her examination. "Would you get the Tofu Green Curry though? I missed it last time."

"Sure thing. But, hey, if I don't see you in forty-five minutes, I'm coming back here. Got it?" He gave her a mock stern look that she promptly ignored.

"See ya, Bones."

~B/B~

Wednesday 8:34

Brennan reached for the door to her apartment and, for the second time that day, had it jerked out of her reach. The open door revealed a sweats-clad Booth with a prominent scowl on his face and Brennan's eyes widened in surprise though she had known to expect him. It was still a bit of a shock to come home to a man that filled her doorway, dressed in clothes made for sleeping and looking altogether too much like he belonged exactly where he was.

Pulling her eyes from his form, she raised her eyebrows. "Hello, Booth."

"Bones, you are one lucky woman." He shook his head, stepping aside to let her in. "I was just heading out to come get you and if I'd found you still at the lab, I doubt you would have liked my plan of action."

She laid her purse down on the table by the door and slipped her coat off. "Which was?"

"Well, I envisioned throwing you over my shoulder and carrying you out… but since I value certain parts of my anatomy that would have been in your kicking range, I was gonna go for calling security instead."

Only partially amused, Brennan headed for the food, taking a deep breath to draw in the smell. She was starving. "Security would never have removed me forcibly, Booth. I am allowed to be at the lab regardless of the hour."

"Yeah, well, I didn't say it was a great plan. I just said you wouldn't have liked it." He grumbled, following her and leaning against the counter.

"Did you eat?"

"No, I was waiting for you."

She sighed, looking up at him. "I'm sorry, Booth. I completed my work as quickly as possible."

"Yeah…" He relented and gave her a forgiving smile. "It's no big deal, Bones." Reaching out, he stole a shrimp from the container she was opening. "But I think I should get major bonus points for sitting here with all this food and still waiting for you."

"I'm unsure as to what point system you're referring to, but, regardless, you should have eaten. I'm quite hungry so I'm sure you are even more so."

"I wasn't going to eat without you, Bones."

She headed for the refrigerator and pulled out two bottles of beer, handing him one that he opened with ease and clinked against hers before taking a long drag. "Thanks."

She nodded, taking advantage of his momentary distraction to look at him again. She remembered the t-shirt he was wearing. He'd worn it the last time he'd slept over while they were working a case, intent on protecting her from imaginary peril. When he'd run out to work the next day, he'd left it and the sweat pants behind. He'd never asked for them back and she couldn't help but wonder if he'd just never missed them. The sweat pants were a bit worn and the t-shirt was just a little too tight so she doubted he wore them often.

He was running his hand absently over his chest and she allowed herself the prescribed three seconds to enjoy the view before forcing herself to avert her eyes. She had figured out long ago that the most efficient way to deal with the fact that her partner was extraordinarily attractive was to give herself permission to appreciate his structure, as was natural, while not allowing herself to linger. Lingering led to thoughts that neither of them wanted her to have. Thoughts that she carefully compartmentalized away with the memories of their first case together.

"Hey, Bones? You still with me here?"

"Yes." She replied crisply, bringing herself back to attention. "Are you ready to eat?"

He raised his eyebrows, flicking his eyes down and she realized he was holding a plate of the curry she had requested, offering it to her.

"Thank you…" She took the plate from him, a bit sheepish. "I was momentarily distracted."

"I noticed."

She glanced at him, attempting to determine if there was any smugness or wariness in his expression that would indicate he knew what she had been distracted by. He looked normal enough, but then again she certainly wasn't an expert on body language.

"Mm… good." He mumbled the words around a mouthful of rice. "Starving."

"You should eat lightly." She chided, following him into the living room to settle on the couch. "We'll be engaging in physical activity shortly."

He raised his eyebrows. "Alright, Bones… you gotta tell me. What are we doing tonight?"

"After we eat, Booth."

"You know you're kind of freaking me out here with all the secrets and the sweats and the physical activity comments."

"It's not my intention to… freak you out." Brennan crossed her legs, settling in. "If it's that important I'll tell you now what we're doing. As long as you promise to stay."

"Well, yeah. Whatever it is, it can't be as bad as all that, Bones. I mean, how much trouble can we get into in your apartment? Just tell me."

"I'm going to teach you yoga, Booth."

"No freakin' way."

"Booth…"

"Uh-uh. Bones, I'm not gonna twist myself into a pretzel on your floor! I'm not going to pose like a butterfly and float away in my mind. Not happening."

"Booth, your perception of yoga is obviously quite flawed. It has extraordinary benefits that result from the gradual relaxation and stretching of key muscle groups. It will do a great deal to help your back." Brennan set her plate down, moving a little closer to Booth in her desire to persuade him. "If you will at least attempt to learn, I predict that you will enjoy it."

"Bones… you're serious about this? You're really gonna make me do yoga?"

Brennan nodded firmly. "I really am."

"And here I thought you cared about me."

"I do care about you. Which is why I'm going to teach you a skill that is enjoyable, relaxing and beneficial to the health of your muscles. You did promise me, Booth."

He let out a deep, throaty sigh. "Yes…I did, didn't I? Fine, Bones… on one condition."

"Yes?"

"We never tell anyone about this."

Brennan shook her head. "Booth, we have to tell Sweets. I'm certain he won't allow us to refuse."

"Fine… Sweets. But with as little detail as possible and then we swear him to secrecy. And we never tell anyone else."

Brennan nodded. "I can agree to that."

"Alright. Then we can do this. But Bones… " Booth leaned in and gave her a serious look, "Tomorrow, when it's my turn, we're taking Nerf wars to a whole new level. Got it?"

~B/B~

Wednesday 9:16

Brennan watched as the second hand on her watch moved slowly towards the oversized twelve that symbolized the moment that they would be allowed to begin. She had remained firm in her insistence that they wait twenty minutes after eating, despite Booth's numerous requests to begin soon so that they could end sooner.

"And… time." She announced as the second hand reached it's destination. "We can begin now.

Booth looked up from his prone position on one of the yoga mats that she had laid out for them, side by side. He smiled involuntarily, having somehow forgotten in the thirty seconds since he'd last looked at her how cute she was in her black lounge pants and deep green tank, her hair pulled back from her face in her typical no-nonsense ponytail.

She walked over, settling herself on the mat beside him.

"Are you ready?"

"As I'll ever be." He replied drolly. "Show me how it's done, Bones."

"Alright." She took a deep breath. "Follow my lead. First, breathe in, then out."

"Oh, hey, I know that move!" He teased before following her instructions. "One down, one to go."

"Booth, there are more than two exercises." Brennan turned her head to send him a dirty look. "Now pay attention."

"Yes, teacher."

"I would like you to take several cleansing breaths. However, as you do so, you should be aware that there is nothing mystical about the satisfaction felt from this exercise. What we are doing is providing more oxygen to our muscles which causes them to be more relaxed. We're also setting a soothing rhythm for ourselves."

"I think I've conquered the breathing, Bones."

"Ok. You may find this first position ironic. It won't break your concentration to laugh."

He chuckled at her seriousness. "Good to know."

"The first position is called the corpse."

"Ah, very funny, Bones. And here I thought I was the joke for the night."

"Make sure that your arms and legs are perfectly straight. Your hip and knee should create one straight line, while your shoulders and hands do the same. Turn your knees out slightly and continue to breathe."

A moment of silence passed before Booth spoke up.

"Bones, we're just laying here."

"Sshh."

"This isn't an exercise, Bones, it's a nap. What is the point of this?"

"Booth, be quiet. This is the first pose. It's supposed to be relaxing. Are you breathing?"

"Uh… yeah, Bones. I'm breathing."

"You can't breathe properly while talking. Now lie quietly."

Silence filled the room again, interrupted only by the occasional too-deep breath from Booth.

"Alright." Brennan said softly. "Now, this is the Cat Stretch. Roll over and get up on your hands and knees."

"No."

"Booth."

"Come on, Bones..."

"Like this." Brennan shifted, turning herself over and raising up on her hands and knees, her head hanging down. "Observe my body and copy my position."

Booth gulped at the request that he observe her body, but complied willingly, pulling his eyes away only when they landed on the curve of her backside that was rising in the air. Suddenly desperate for anything to distract him – even the great possibility of humiliating himself, he hauled himself up into the position she was demonstrating.

"Now what?" He grunted.

"Take a deep breath in and as you release it, arch your back towards the ceiling. If it helps, you can picture a cat in your mind and mimic the feline movements."

Booth groaned. "Can we not call them feline movements?"

"Why not?"

"Because it makes this whole thing so much worse. I'm on a yoga mat, in work-out clothes, focusing on my breathing and arching my back. Just humor me."

"Very well. You may just mirror my actions instead then."

She took a deep breath and let it out, arching her spine up in the process and drawing her head and bottom towards each other. She held the position for a long moment while he gaped at her, unobserved.

"Booth?"

"Uh?"

"Are you in the correct position?"

Quickly, he dropped his head and pushed his back up. "Yep, feels great, Bones. Really great."

He was mainly humoring her, but as he stretched out his back, he did have to admit that it eased the ache that had taken up a permanent resident in his lower lumbar region. He stretched a little more and felt the tension ease again.

"Remember to continue to breathe."

After a moment, Brennan pushed herself up so that she was sitting on her knees, looking over at Booth with a grin. "Your form is far from perfect, but you're doing well enough for a beginner."

Booth pushed upwards too and glared at her. "You know I'm going to have to punish you for this, Bones."

"The next pose requires you to sit on your mat with your back straight." Brennan demonstrated, stretching her long legs out in front of her. "This is called the Sage Twist and it does risk a strain on your back so I am going to demonstrate for you and then supervise your repetition of the pose."

"Like this?" Booth sat down as well.

"Straighten your back." Brennan instructed. "Now observe my movements so that you can repeat them exactly." Moving slowly, she lifted her right leg over her left and placed her foot on the floor beside her knee. Shifting her weight, she rested her left elbow on her right knee and twisted to look over her right shoulder, holding the position.

Booth watched as his partner contorted herself, stretching her long, lean limbs and showing off her slender neck. She seemed to be totally unconcerned about the show she was putting on for him in her tight clothes and with her limber body. He wasn't sure if he was proud that she trusted him so completely or a little offended that she obviously considered him no risk to her sexually.

She untwisted herself, stretching both of her legs out in front of her again before repeating the pose with the other leg.

"Your turn." She finally said as she rose up to her knees again and moved towards him, laying a hand on his shoulder. "I will monitor the severity of your twist. Now, lift your right leg up." She leaned over and placed her other hand under his thigh, encouraging him while also displaying ample cleavage directly at his eye level. He decided he was definitely a little offended that she felt able to be quite so free around him. He was a man after all; a man who liked what he saw far too much.

"Booth?"

"Yeah, yeah." He lifted his leg and placed his foot several inches below his knee, closer to his ankle. He grunted. "That's as high as I can go."

Brenann smirked a little, running her hand on along his hamstring, testing the tension with her fingers. "I would have expected you to be more limber."

"I'm strong, not limber, Bones." His voice took on a slight growl that he hoped was solely because of the perceived insult. "There's not really a lot of need to know horizontal ballet as an FBI agent."

Smiling, Brennan kept her hand on his shoulder, but moved her other hand from his leg, gesturing for him to lift his arm. He placed his elbow on his knee as he had seen her do and let her guide him as he turned to look over his shoulder.

"Here." She pressed her fingers into his shoulder. "Stop here, this is as far as you can twist without further straining your back."

He closed his eyes and rested his forehead against her arm. The stretch in his muscles did feel good and he forgave her marginally for putting him through this humiliation.

"Booth?"

"Hmm?"

"Was Ellen limber?"

He started to jerk his head up, but she anticipated him and rested her hand on the back of his neck, preventing the motion. "Be careful, your back is in a sensitive position."

He relented and rested his head on her arm again, but refused to let the question slip by forgotten. "Why are you thinking about Ellen, Bones?"

"I'm not."

"You are. You just asked me if she was limber of all things! How would I know if she was limber?"

"Well, you were dating her."

"I don't know whether or not she was limber or why you would care either way."

Truth be told, he hadn't thought about Ellen much at all since he'd last seen her and her name on his partner's lips threw him. He wanted to know what was going on in her overactive mind.

Brennan released him, easing him slowly out of the yoga position until he was sitting with his legs flat again. To his horror, she straddled him briefly before shifting her entire body to his other side. "Now the other leg." She instructed, gently guiding him into the position once more.

When his head was resting comfortably on her arm again, he nudged her with his forehead. "Why were you thinking about Ellen, Bones?"

He felt her shrug. "You stated that you weren't limber which caused me to consider that males are not necessarily required to be limber, though it is a very appealing quality in females when it comes to intercourse."

He swallowed hard, his mind conjuring the picture of her contorted body against his will. "So?"

"Ellen was your last sexual partner." She explained as though he should already understand. "I was simply curious as to whether she fulfilled that requirement."

"Ellen wasn't my… Bones, we weren't, you know…" He stammered, wishing she wasn't wrapped all around him for his conversation. Wishing this conversation wasn't happening at all. "We only dated for a few weeks!"

"Usually that is considered plenty of time."

"Yeah, well, it wasn't this time, ok? Geez, can we talk about anything else? Anything, Bones. Ask me about my breathing. Maybe I'm not doing it right."

"You're breathing is quite correct, Booth."

"Figures."

"My sexual partners have often told me that I am exceptionally limber."

"Bones! You can't talk to me about this now!" Booth screwed his eyes shut, willing himself to stop thinking of her that way.

"Why not? This seems the perfect time considering I am attempting to inform you of the benefits of practicing yoga."

He decided to opt for reason rather than panicked protest. "Yeah, but, Bones, this is supposed to be relaxing me, right? If you want me to relax, then we should just be quiet. Or at least not talk about sex. Talking about sex does not relax me."

She chuckled, gently easing him out of the pose. "I suppose you have a point. I will respect your sensitivities."

He glared at her. "Thanks, Bones. Respect my sensitivities. That's a great way to kick a guy when he's down."

"Would you be more cheerful if I told you those are the only poses I require you to perform?"

His mood lifted immediately. "We're done? Really? Awesome."

"You're done." She corrected, standing up. "The remainder of the poses I want you to learn are more complicated so I will simply demonstrate. If you'd be more comfortable, you can move to the couch."

He doubted there was any way for him to be comfortable if she was going to be twisting herself up in poses while his only responsibility was to sit and watch, but he went ahead and eased up off the floor, noting a marked improvement in his back.

Settling himself on the couch, he watched as she dragged her yoga mat in front of him and did her breathing exercises once again.

"The warrior pose is relatively simple and is one of my favorites." She spoke quietly as she spread her feet apart until he was sure she was going to end up doing the splits. Slowly, she turned to face her left, rotating her feet. Her arms came up and she held them straight in front of and behind her, lifting her chin. "This pose strengthens the entire body."

He didn't know how he could help the fact that his eyes were wandering all over her and so he decided not to try. He was caught between admiring the strength and grace of her movements and simply admiring her. His partner was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. Breathtakingly beautiful.

She was moving again, keeping her feet far apart, but reaching one hand down to the floor, her body facing him. To his amazement, she lifted her other leg into the air so that it was perfectly parallel to the floor and held it there without wavering.

"This is the Half Moon Pose." She murmured. "It is an excellent way to strengthen your legs and ankles. I began doing this pose more often after the first time I pursued a suspect with you. I have found it very beneficial to increasing my speed when running."

"Bones, I could never do that."

"Not at first." She agreed.

"Not ever." His tone exposed his admiration and he saw the small smile on her face, glad that she'd noticed. She deserved to be admired for what she was doing.

"I'll only show you one more." She lowered her leg back to the floor and gently eased herself up. "I want you to be able to remember the names and the poses." She turned to her left and steadied herself on her right foot, lifting her left leg behind her. He gulped as her backside pushed out and she leaned forward, reaching behind her to grab her left ankle. "This is The Lord of the Dance. It stretches the shoulders, chest, abdomen, groin and thighs and, once again, strengthens the ankles and legs."

With no difficulty whatsoever, she brought her left ankle up above her head, moving her hand to the ball of her foot to hold it there. Slowly, she lifted her other hand above her head as well and leaned her torso ever so slightly forward, balancing perfectly.

His heart rate increased as his eyes trailed the length of her extended leg and the firm line of her stomach before the curve of her…

He closed his eyes in self-preservation. "Bones…" He managed.

"Yes?"

When he opened his eyes, she was simply standing before him again, head tilted as she regarded him with confusion.

He swallowed hard and was able to respond normally. "That was great. Very impressive."

"Thank you, but it certainly isn't one of my more honed skills. I occasionally practice these poses in the mornings or during a particularly tense case. Sometimes after a self-defense class in order to cool down my muscles." She bent over and picked up her yoga mat. "I do think it would be a beneficial skill for you to develop, however. Will you continue to practice?"

"Uh… "

"At least the back strengthening poses?"

"Maybe."

"I would be glad to assist you in the future if you feel that would be an incentive to continue."

"No!" He said too loudly, remembering her hands running over his muscles and her breasts on display in front of his face. "No. Thanks though. I'll just… do it on my own sometime."

She shrugged, rolling up the mat. "Alright. Was the experience as displeasing as you expected?"

_Not nearly displeasing enough… _

"Nah, it wasn't bad, Bones."

"Good." She smiled, and settled on the couch beside him. "Thank you for indulging me."

"Yeah, anytime." He felt like a teenage boy, sitting beside her and he wanted to be that strong FBI agent again. The one who had perfected the ability to ignore his attraction to his work partner.

"I should probably get going." He rose to his feet, dragging a hand over his hair. "It's getting late."

She frowned. "It's not even ten yet."

"Yeah, but…" He shook his head, "Whew, those poses really wore me out."

"Ok…." She stood as well. "Thank you for bringing dinner."

"Oh, yeah, sure." He grabbed the clothes he'd folded and set beside the couch. "Hey, so I was thinking… about tomorrow. I'll just head over your way first thing in the morning so that we can get started on the case. What time are you going to get in?"

"Quite early. I will likely begin work at six."

"Ah." He shook his head. "Ok, so not that early for me. I'll be in by seven though."

"That'll be fine."

Brennan walked him to the door, and held it open for him as he slipped his dress shoes on to complete his sweats and t-shirt. "Now that's a look." He chuckled.

"I'm sorry I don't have any other shoes for you to wear."

"It's fine." Reaching out, he gave her a one armed hug, pulling her close out of habit before realizing it would do nothing to help him rein in the insanity that had followed him around all day. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Goodnight, Booth."

"Night, Bones."

~B/B~

Wednesday 10:24 P.M.

Brennan let her hair out of the ponytail she had captured it in, letting it fall around her freshly washed face. Running a brush through her curls distractedly, she pulled off her socks and dropped them in her hamper before moving towards her bed and pulling back the covers.

Setting the brush on her bedside table, she slipped between the sheets and turned to check her alarm for the morning, switching off the bedside lamp when she was done.

Lying in the dark, she looked up at her ceiling, letting her mind wander to the events of the evening. She suspected that she had, once again, not fully understood the consequences of her actions before she enacted them. When Sweets had instructed Booth and her to teach each other something, she had immediately thought of yoga as a way to help Booth strengthen his damaged muscles.

It was only after she had begun that she became aware of the situation she had created as she felt his muscles under her hands and his body close to hers. She had been able to feel his eyes on her as she demonstrated poses for him and when her eyes had met his she'd seen a look in them that hadn't been there in years.

Sighing, she closed her eyes, ordering herself to push the evening from her mind. Nothing that should have been any surprise to her had taken place. Both of them were attractive, sexually active people and when they were in such close proximity, they were bound to feel a certain pull towards each other.

Luckily they were both able to push those feelings to the side. By the time Booth had left, she had read only friendly affection from him once again. She was relieved, of course. It would have been unfortunate if they had been forced to deal with reemphasizing the line they'd drawn long ago at the same time that they were attempting to decipher other aspects of their relationship.

In the future, she would simply have to think through her actions more carefully. It was easy, since she felt so close to him, to forget that they needed to maintain a certain distance, but she wouldn't make that mistake again.

Resolved, she burrowed into her pillow, her consciousness already slipping away. She barely had time to acknowledge the aroma that was so Booth drifting around her, still lingering on her clothes, before she fell asleep.

~B/B~

**Congratulations on making it through an almost 7000 word chapter! =) I hope you didn't mind my indulgence in the yoga scene. It was so much fun to write and it's even more fun to read if you really try to picture Booth all contorted. ;-) **

**Wouldn't it be fun to leave a review now? I know I would think so... =) **

**Planning on posting again this week so keep an eye out for Chapter 13!  
**


	13. The Lapse in the Game

**A/N: *dangles chapter before you* Why, yes I am updating a mere two days after the last chapter. What was that? You love me for it? Well, thank you! **

**You all were so wonderful about reviewing for the last chapter that I was determined to finish this chapter for you as soon as possible. Seriously, you all really did make my day with your reviews and I SO appreciate you taking the time to leave me your feedback. So to all of you who reviewed, this chapter is dedicated to you! =) **

**Question for you guys: Would you like to continue to see the squints and some case work or do you prefer a more concentrated focus on B/B alone? Let me know in your review! =)**

**Hopefully this isn't a problem for you guys… but make sure you read all the way to the end of the chapter. All the way… particularly the last part. *ahem***

**Thank you to Hannah Taylor1, my wonderful beta, for all of her help with this chapters, and, really, all chapters. She does a wonderful job both with helping me and writing her own story, "Problem Solving, The Booth and Brennan Way." She just posted a new chapter and it's not one you want to miss. Go leave her a review!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Bones!**

Thursday 7:43 A.M.

"Mornin', Bones!" Booth strode into his partner's office, arms swinging, a wide smile on his face. "Let's get to work!"

"You are quite late." Brennan glanced up at him with a neutral expression. Almost immediately, her eyes narrowed and she tilted her head, studying him as she stood and moved out from behind her desk. "Your gait is markedly improved. The effects of your injury are almost indiscernible now."

He groaned inwardly at her persistent knack of observing every single thing around her. Moving close so that he could whisper, he made his confession. "Yeah, well maybe I did some more of those exercises."

Her face split into a wide grin and she started to speak, but he cut her off with his hand over her mouth. "Sshh." He chided.

She shoved his hand away. "I didn't say anything yet."

"Yeah, but you were about to gloat about… you know… yoga. And loudly, too. I could tell."

"Well, I was right." She said smugly. "It did help."

"Yeah, well, good for you." He muttered. "Except it backfired on you. I fell asleep during that stupid corpse pose thingy. I told you it was a nap and not an exercise."

She laughed and rolled her eyes at him. "I'm still pleased. And you should be as well. You must be feeling a great deal of relief."

He rolled his shoulders. "Yeah, well, I've felt worse. Anyway, I didn't come here to talk about that. What have you got for me? Did we get an ID?"

"Yes." Brennan turned and picked up a photograph off of her desk. "Angela's sketch brought up a hit in the missing persons' data base. Our victim is Michael Liu, age thirty-one, born in the United States to Jihan Liu, a Chinese immigrant, and Arabella Liu, formerly Arabella Thompson. His parents reported him missing four months ago, which fits the time of death that Hodgins provided based on insect activity."

Booth took the photograph from her and looked it over. "He looks happy."

"His parents live in the area. Approximately forty-five minutes south, according to the missing persons report."

Booth nodded. "Alright, looks like you and I get to deliver bad news first thing in the morning. Grab your coat; it's chilly out there."

~B/B~

Thursday 9:27 A.M.

Brennan stared out the passenger seat window, watching as the D.C. landscape came into view and disappeared as Booth drove down the highway. Her thoughts moved as rapidly as the buildings she was watching, shifting from the reaction of the victim's parents to the information they had gleaned, to concerns over the fact that they had a new case and yet were planning on leaving work by seven to continue their therapy assignment.

"Bones? Hey, you ok over there?"

Brennan turned, looking at her partner. He shot her a smile in between checking on the road and adjusting the heating system.

"Booth?"

"Yeah?"

"Perhaps we should back away from our more intense therapy with Sweets until we solve this case. I'm uncomfortable with the idea of leaving early this evening to play with Nerf guns rather than working to determine what happened to our victim."

Booth glanced at her. "Bones… it's fine. Trust me, ok? We're not even planning on leaving early. Seven is after hours."

Brennan frowned. "But we usually work much later than that when we have a new case."

"Yeah, but this time we're not." He sent her another smile, trying to reassure her. "Bones, it's important that we keep meeting with Sweets right now. Consistency and all that. Besides, we're meeting with him to improve our partnership, which is kind of like work anyway."

"We're meeting with him to work on the personal aspect of our partnership."

"Personal affects professional." Booth had to glance over his shoulder and switch lanes before he could look at her again. "Hey, look, I'll make you a deal. Seven o'clock rolls around and we're going hot and heavy or we get a new lead, we'll stay and work it out. But if nothing urgent is going on, we leave. Sound good?"

Brennan considered his suggestion, looking back out the window. "I suppose that is an acceptable compromise. But we should make use of every possible moment until then. For instance, we should be discussing the information that Michael Liu's mother gave us. She seemed to feel that her son was behaving strangely."

Booth shrugged. "Yeah, he was getting a little action that he didn't want his folks to know about."

Brennan's brow furrowed. "That's an erroneous conclusion. His mother merely stated that he was distracted and often did not explain his whereabouts."

"Bones, he was a thirty-one year old guy who was still living at home. Makes the whole dating thing a bit awkward. I'd bet you anything that he had a girlfriend he didn't want his mommy to know about and who probably didn't want to know about his mommy either."

"You have absolutely no empirical evidence to support your claim."

"I just know, ok, Bones? Which is why we're headed to the place Michael was temping at. Hopefully someone there will know about this girlfriend."

"The potentially non-existent girlfriend?" Brennan sniffed self-righteously.

"Ha, funny. No." Booth pointed at her. "There's a girlfriend, Bones. Trust me."

"We'll see."

"Yeah, we will."

"Fine."

"Ok."

"Booth?"

"What?"

"If we do leave early tonight, would I get a very large Nerf gun?"

~B/B~

Thursday 3:12 P.M.

Cam stepped out of her office, following the sounds of raised voices that had begun shortly after she'd seen Booth stalk by her door. Even if she hadn't already known, it would have been obvious where the argument was taking place. Brennan's office door was closed and a crowd of people had gathered nearby making half-hearted attempts to appear busy while catching the show.

Taking a calming breath, Cam walked towards Angela, Hodgins and Mr. Nigel-Murray who had formed a sub-set of the group, positioning themselves a few feet away from the other spectators.

"Please, somebody tell me why my entire department decided to come to a halt in the middle of the afternoon." Cam crossed her arms, raising her eyebrows pointedly at all three of the employees before her. "And while you're at it, someone tell me if I need to call security to take care of those two in there."

"They were arguing about the new case," Angela popped a skittle into her mouth, "but I think they've moved on to their plans for the evening. Isn't it so hot when they fight like this?"

"You know what'd be hotter though?" Hodgins held up a finger, a smile lighting his face. "What if we install a surveillance camera inside Dr. B's office that streams right to Angie's big screen? Wouldn't this be more fun if we added a viewing experience?" Grinning, he slapped the back of his hand against Mr. Nigel-Murray's shoulder. "Dude, we should so do that."

"Were you aware," Mr. Nigel-Murray responded, an eager smile on his face, "that surveillance cameras were first invented by an engineer named Walter Burch and their first use was in Germany in the year 1942? The United States did not begin to use surveillance cameras until twenty years later, and then for much less grand projects such as fighting against crime."

"Yeah, thanks for that." Hodgins rolled his eyes. "Cam, how do you feel about outsourcing some intern work to Zack in the loony bin?"

"Hold on." Angela held up her hand, cocking her head and listening. "Oh, they've gone quiet. Do you think they jumped each other?"

Cam sighed, shaking her head. "You know, other department heads don't have to deal with this kind of thing. Someone call me if they start up again." She started to walk away, but looked back at the group of people still lingering outside Brennan's door. "Back to work, people!"

~B/B~

Thursday 2:53 P.M.

"Bones!" Booth strode into his partner's office, hand on his hip, and irritation in his eyes. "Can you please explain to me why you've been ignoring my phone calls and my emails for the last two hours? When I call you, it's because I need to talk to you. Not because I just like to push the pretty buttons on the phone."

Brennan looked up blandly from the paperwork she was poring over. "I've been very busy."

"Yeah, don't pull that, Bones. You're never too busy to answer a phone call from your partner, ok?"

"Perhaps I am when my partner suggests that we spend the entire morning following his hunched gut rather than making actual progress on our case."

"Hunched gut?" Booth threw out a hand, gesturing in frustration. "Bones, I'm not having digestive problems. I had a hunch and I followed my gut. And if you'd picked up your phone any of the last forty times I've called you, then you would know that I finally found the victim's girlfriend and we have an appointment to talk to her in an hour. So can you get off your high horse now?"

"I don't know what that means."

"Never mind." Booth rubbed his forehead, kneeding the tension out. "The point is, I was right, Bones. I was right and I needed to tell you and you should have picked up your phone."

Brennan sat back in her chair, folding her arms over her chest. "The fact that the victim had a girlfriend does not validate the scenario you've concocted to explain his death. We don't even know how the victim died, considering I spent all morning in the field with you so that you could search for evidence to support the conclusion you had already come to."

"The conclusion… that was correct."

"You don't know that, Booth." Brennan stood, her hands on her hip, her jaw set. "If you would like to spend your time pursuing avenues of inquiry based on your gut, then that is your prerogative, but I prefer to remain here in the lab while you do so. And I would think you would prefer that too considering you're still hoping to finish our therapy exercise this evening."

Booth held out a hand. "What do you mean, 'hoping to?"

"Simply that I doubt I will feel I have made sufficient progress by seven o'clock and will likely be unable to leave early with you."

Booth took a step towards her, eyes snapping. "Like hell, Bones."

"It's important that I remain focused on this case, Booth. I thought I made that clear this morning."

"And I thought I made it clear that you just need to trust me. Bones, this is important. If we skip out on this assignment then we'll have to cancel our session tomorrow and then we won't reschedule and before you know it weeks will have gone by and we'll be back where we were before we started."

"Which is where exactly?"

Booth threw his arms out. "All surrogated and stuff. Bones, would you just relax about this case? I know you want to focus on your work, but we kind of need to focus on us too. If we fall apart, how are we going to do any work at all?"

Brennan took a step back, her eyes widening. "I wasn't aware our relationship was so precarious, Booth."

The sudden uncertainty in her eyes cut through his frustration enough to let him hear what he'd just said. "Bones… you misunderstood me…"

Brennan shook her head. "I understood what you said perfectly, Booth."

"No, you didn't." He let out a sigh and moved towards her again, intent on explaining. She took another step back.

"I did. I believe the only thing I didn't understand was the significance you were attaching to our therapy before. I was under the impression that we were improving our relationship rather than fixing it. Thank you for helping me make the necessary distinction between the two."

"Bones, stop talking."

Brennan nodded. "I should get back to work."

"Would you let go of the work thing for a minute? Bones, I'm trying to talk to you and you're not listening to me!"

"There's no need for you to raise your voice at me, Booth."

"Your voice is raised!" Booth shot back. "I don't even know why we're fighting!"

"Because you are arrogant and overly confident in your gut and, furthermore, because you have been withholding from me the fact that you have genuine concern for our relationship." Brennan sat herself back down in her chair hard enough to send it moving away from her keyboard. With a jerk, she brought herself back into position and resumed her furious typing.

Dragging a hand over his face, Booth moved around her desk and pulled her chair back, positioning himself between her and the keyboard.

"Booth!"

"Bones, look… we're not communicating here. Listen to me, ok? Are you listening?"

Brennan gave a curt nod.

"Ok. Bones, our relationship is not falling apart. That's not what I meant. Haven't you ever just said something when you're yelling without really thinking about how it sounds?"

Brennan looked at him blankly.

"Yeah, ok, so maybe not. But most people do. Listen, we're fine, ok? We're not in any danger of falling apart or anything close to it. I promise you. " He reached down for her hands and tugged her up so that she was standing in front of him. "Bones, I really hate fighting with you."

"It is not my favorite pastime either."

He brought his hand up to her cheek, gently forcing her to meet his eyes. "You know I didn't mean what you thought I meant, right? Our relationship isn't presnanious."

"Precarious." She corrected automatically. His small smile had her narrowing her eyes. "You knew that."

"A little bit, yeah." Her answering smile relieved him and the tension that had been preoccupying him slid away.

His eyes were locked with hers, his hand still resting on her cheek and he felt the air starting to grow heavy around him. He was suddenly aware of how soft her skin was, how clear blue her eyes were, how sweet the scent of her perfume was as it drifted towards him. How full and perfect her lips were.

Hardly realizing it, he drew her fractionally closer, his mind spinning back to first kisses in the rain and mistletoe encounters.

The loud trill of her phone brought him out of his temporary reverie and he released her quickly, feeling a strange urge to clear his throat and shove his hands into his pockets.

She reached into the pocket of her lab coat, still watching him, and pulled out her phone, answering it. "Brennan."

While she listened, he put some space and her entire desk between them, pulling his hand out of his pocket only to scrub it over his face. He really, really needed to get a grip. It had to be all the extra time they were spending together. Even by their standards, they had spent an unusual amount of time in each other's company over the past week.

"I don't know, Dad, let me check. Booth?"

He turned and looked at her, instantly interested that it was Max on the phone.

"My father would like me to have lunch with him on Saturday. I assume you have Parker this weekend and won't be inconvenienced if I go."

"Nah, Bones." He nodded, running his hand down his tie. "Have lunch with your dad. I won't be working this weekend anyway with Parker around."

She went back to her conversation, ending it soon after.

"Booth?"

"Yeah?"

"Are we finished fighting?"

He raised his eyebrows, shrugging. "I don't know, Bones. Are we ok? Are you ok?"

Brennan nodded. "Yes, I can accept that I misunderstood your thoughtlessly worded statement and there is no reason to continue debating which of us is correct in our views on the victim's girlfriend until we speak with her and gather more information."

"Ok… and what about tonight? Can we finish our therapy assignment?"

"Booth…"

"It's important, Bones. Isn't that what you've been telling me all this time? These assignments are important and we need to do them."

Brennan sighed. "I understand that they are important, Booth, but so is my work. So is this victim. I have a responsibility to discover what happened to him."

"And you will, Bones. You will. Just… not after seven tonight." Against his better judgment, he moved back towards her, taking her shoulders in his hands. "Please?"

"When does Parker arrive for your weekend together?"

He gave her a funny look, thrown off guard by the unexpected shift in conversation. "Uh, Saturday morning. Around ten. Why?"

"Would you like to compromise with me?"

"I don't know, Bones… would I?"

"If I agree to leave with you at 7:00 tonight, then tomorrow night I will decide on our departure time." She tilted her head, looking up at him. "Is that an acceptable compromise?"

He dropped his hands from her shoulders and eyed her. "There's gotta be a time limit, Bones. I can't stay here all night."

"How about midnight?"

"Midnight! Geez, Bones!"

"Is that an acceptable compromise?"

He could see the determination etched in her face and knew it was pointless to argue. "Fine. We'll compromise. 7:00 tonight and midnight tomorrow. But just so you know… I could have been the bad guy here and just guilted you into coming."

Brennan crossed her arms. "That is… doubtful."

"Yoga, Bones. Yoga." He jabbed his finger at her shoulder. "Do I need to elaborate?"

"You enjoyed our exercises!" She protested, instantly defensive. "You even did them on your own this morning."

He shook his head, backing towards her door. "I did Yoga for you, Bones. That's what we call a trump card. Now, are you coming or do I have go talk to the girlfriend all by my lonesome with no one to stop me from just jumping to conclusions whenever I want?"

He'd never seen her take off her lab coat that quickly before.

~B/B~

Thursday 6:57 P.M.

"Mr. Nigel-Murray, I do require that you work quickly. Booth will be here momentarily and if you cannot manage to make a cast of the wound, I will have to forgo your learning experience and step in." Brennan drummed her fingers impatiently on the examination table, unaware that it was likely her hovering that was making her intern so nervous and slow.

"Dr. B!" Hodgins' voice rang out as he catapulted himself up the platform stairs. "Ok, check this out. I'm pretty sure I can give you the murder scene. You wanna know how?" His eyes sparkled excitedly. "Fish crap. How cool is that?"

"Eels are under the family of…" Mr. Nigel-Murray began.

"Hodgins, I don't have time to indulge you in explanations. Simply provide me with your conclusions." Brennan chided as she removed the casting equipment from Mr. Nigel-Murray's hand and quickly finished the task herself.

"Snappy, snappy." Hodgins muttered. "Fine. Your guy was dumped in the river a couple miles north of where you found him. I found traces of Notropis Perpallidus excrement on him and the only part of the river those guys swim in is up north. They're ridiculously rare. Hey, if you want me to go up there and take a sample just to double check, I'm your guy."

"Is that necessary?" Brennan frowned, holding up the cast she had made and examining it.

"Well no… not really. But hey, you like to be thorough, right?"

"I like to be efficiently thorough, yes. That's fine, Hodgins. Excellent work. I will inform Booth."

"Sweetie!" Angela sauntered up the platform steps, joining her co-workers. "So I think I've made some real progress on the images of possible weapons. If you've got that cast then we can do some more comparisons and really narrow it down." Turning to Hodgins, she folded her arms across her chest. "Did I just hear you yell 'fish crap' or am I going crazy?"

"Notropis Perpallidus crap, to be exact."

"Yes, by all means, let's be exact."

"Angela, Mr. Nigel-Murray will assist you in continuing to work on the murder weapon. I'm afraid I have to leave in just a moment." Brennan began peeling off her gloves and unbuttoning her lab coat.

"That's right, you've got…"

"Bones!" Booth's voice had everyone on the platform stopping and turning to look at him. "Let's go!"

While the squint-squad was still processing the large, very bright Nerf gun in Booth's hand, the Agent aimed at Brennan's stomach and made a perfect shot, laughing as the foam dart bounced off of her, leaving her speechless.

"Dude, that is so frickin' awesome!" Hodgins recovered first, moving towards Booth and reaching his hand out for the gun. "You just shot Dr. B with a Nerf gun. You're so going down as our hero, because trust me, you're going down."

"Don't touch." Booth said, jerking the gun out of his reach. "What do you think, Bones?"

Brennan reached down and picked up the dart that had assaulted her and examined it. "Booth, it is highly inappropriate to be playing with toys on the forensic platform." She kept her face straight as she lectured him, but as soon as she was done, a smile broke out on her lips. "Is my gun that big?"

"This one is yours." He made a show of handing it over to her, sending Hodgins a warning look as the entomologist stepped forward yet again. "Congratulations on your first Nerf gun, Bones. Oh, and you'd better make sure you remember this moment fondly because it's the only time I'll be giving you a gun."

"I would like to shoot it." Brennan ran her hand over the loud plastic, making Booth laugh.

"That's the plan, Bones." He moved to her side, slipping his arm around her waist and guiding her forward. "But as you said, highly inappropriate in the lab. So let's go. We've got ten minutes to get to the pizza place where there's one large pizza, half with mushrooms, olives, onions and no peppers calling your name…"

"You ordered dinner?" Brennan frowned. "Booth, you've bought the majority of our meals lately. If you recall, it was your own rule that we should take turns buying food in order to ensure that neither of us is sexually pursuing the other."

Booth gaped at her even as he catalogued the various snickers and smirks coming from the other platform occupants. "Bones!" He hissed, leaning down in to try for some semblance of privacy. "You cannot say that kind of thing in front of people. If it will make you feel better, you can pay for the pizza when we pick it up, ok?"

"Thank you." Brennan said, seemingly oblivious to the amusement surrounding her. "Please hold my gun while I remove my lab coat. But be very careful with it, Booth. I don't want any harm to come to the remains."

"I think I can handle it, Bones."

"So you two are playing with guns tonight?" Angela interjected. "That sounds… interesting. Bren, make sure that he teaches you how to hunker down together and lay in wait for the enemy." Angela shot a mischievous look at Booth. "The laying in wait part is particularly important and can be all kinds of fun if you have the right kind of thing to occupy you."

"Thank you, Angela." Brennan slid her lab coat off, handing it unceremoniously to Mr. Nigel-Murray. "I'm sure Booth will keep me quite occupied tonight. He's very much looking forward to this."

Angela chuckled. "I bet."

"And we're leaving." Booth handed Brennan her gun back and placed his hand on her back, urging her forward. "Let's go, Bones."

"I'm coming, Booth." She protested against his demanding hand, looking over her shoulder. "Angela, please ensure that you and Mr. Nigel-Murray make significant progress on determining the murder weapon and call me when you have come to a conclusion."

"Go have fun, Bren." Was Angela's only response.

~B/B~

Thursday 7:37 P.M.

Booth walked down the hall from his bedroom, moving back into the living room where his partner was inspecting her Nerf gun, her plate of pizza forgotten by her side. He smiled at her furrowed brow and pursed lips as she tested the few mechanisms present and then held up a foam dart, testing it with her fingernail.

_My cute scientist._

Shaking that thought out of his head, he entered the room, drawing her attention immediately. "Gotcha some clothes, Bones. You can't run around in heels and slacks, now can ya?"

Brennan set her gun down, frowning as she moved towards him and looked at the clothes he'd picked out for her. A pair of his sweats – the ones with the drawstring so they'd stay up - and an old black T-shirt with FBI emblazoned on the back in bright yellow letters.

"Booth, these clothes will be cumbersome for me to move in." She raised her eyebrows at him. "Is this a trick to put me at a disadvantage in our game?"

He chuckled, pushing the clothes into her hands. "Couple of things, Bones. First of all, just try the clothes. They'll be way better than what you're wearing. Second of all…" He let the words hang for a moment, tapping her nose playfully as the silence held, "I don't need to trick you to get the upper hand. I've got that covered all on my own."

She returned his grin, a competitive light flaring up in her eyes. "Talking garbage will not intimidate me, Booth." She informed him as she bypassed him and headed down the hall herself, looking for a place to change.

"Oh yeah?" He called after her. "What about trash talk, Bones? Will that intimidate you?" He watched her disappear to the left instead of the right and felt a flush as he realized she'd chosen his bedroom to change in instead of the bathroom. "Uh…" He started to call after her again, but had a mental flash of attempting to explain to her why he didn't necessarily want her in his bedroom. It could take hours.

He ran his hand down the t-shirt he'd already changed into and headed for the pizza box, snagging a slice of his meat-lover's half and taking a generous bite. Moving to the fridge he grabbed their customary beers and set them on the counter.

Wandering around the room, he polished off the slice of pizza as he carefully laid down the few picture frames and fewer breakables that he'd prefer survived their game. Nerf gun wars normally didn't get that violent, but judging off the way she'd been inspecting that gun and the three times she had shot him between his car and his apartment, she was going to be pretty enthusiastic.

_My little gun enthusiast._

Pinching the bridge of his nose, he shook his head once more, wondering, should he tilt his head just the right way, if these thoughts would somehow just fall out of his mind.

He took a long sip of his beer and turned back towards the kitchen, stopping in his tracks when he saw his partner coming down the hall.

"Look, Booth," She held out her arms, offering herself for inspection, "I found more suitable clothing."

She didn't need to tell him to look. He couldn't stop looking. She was wearing a pair of his light blue, silk boxers and one of his white undershirts. Both were too big for her, and yet somehow still clung to the curves they weren't used to hiding, exposing cleavage and shoulders and legs until there was so much skin showing that he couldn't find a safe place to look.

"Bones…" He croaked, willing his hand not to move to cover his eyes and give him completely away. "What are you doing in that?"

She shrugged nonchalantly. "I tried on the clothing you had provided and my assessment of it was correct. It was quite hot and difficult to move in. I found these in your top drawer of your dresser."

"You looked in my dresser?" He couldn't help but wonder at his ability to latch on to the most innocuous points. He'd let her go through his dresser drawers all day long if she would just put some clothes back on.

Her eyes held a touch of awareness for the first time since she'd reappeared. "Yes. I'm sorry, should I not have?"

He shook his head, rubbing the back of his neck with his free hand. "Nah, it's no problem, Bones. Aren't you cold? You've got to be cold…"

"No, I'm very comfortable." She picked up her abandoned plate and took a bite of her pizza. "I'm ready to learn the rules of Nerf gun war now."

She sat down on his couch, crossing her legs and looking up at him expectantly.

"Uh, rules. Right." Turning away from her under the guise of grabbing another piece of pizza, he collected himself. This was his partner. The woman that someday he might have to strip out of contaminated clothing or pull out of wet clothes to save her from a hypothermic state. If he couldn't handle seeing her in a pair of shorts and an undershirt, then that was a problem. He'd just use this as practice, conditioning. Very practical.

Turning back around, pizza in hand, he kept his eyes on her face and shrugged. "There really aren't so many rules, Bones. I mean, basically you just have fun with it."

She cocked her head, looking up at him. "Then how will we know who wins? From what I have observed, these darts don't leave any residue, or stick on their target. How will we decipher which of us has been shot more often?"

He chuckled, perching himself on the arm of the couch. "Easy, Bones. We just assume it's you that's been shot more often. Considering there is no way you'd hit me more than I'd hit you."

That competitive look was back on her face and she grinned. "You are attempting to intimidate me through self-assuredness, but it won't work. I, in fact, am better than you at shooting Nerf darts."

He laughed again, thoroughly amused by her. "Bones, we're gonna have to work on your trash talking. Here, repeat after me, alright?" She nodded in agreement and he leaned forward, speaking clearly. "Say, 'Booth, you ain't never seen anything like what I'm fixing to pull off with a Nerf gun.'"

Brennan's eyebrows shot up. "Booth, your grammar leaves a great deal to be desired and it is impossible to determine…"

Booth shook his head, leaning forward further. "No, no, no, Bones. Just repeat. The point is to intimidate the other person. It doesn't matter if it's true or whatever. Ok? Try again."

Brennan opened her mouth, hesitating. "Booth… you have never seen anything comparable to what I will soon demonstrate with my Nerf gun."

"Better!" Booth reached out and patted her knee, having momentarily forgotten her state of undress in his teaching opportunity. It didn't help his new resolve to suddenly have first-hand knowledge of the smoothness of her leg. He cleared his throat, sitting back up.

"Anyway…" He said quickly, "There really aren't that many rules, Bones. We'll take our guns, we'll find a good hiding spot, I'll shout go, and we'll see how many times we can shoot each other before getting back to the couch here, which is a safe zone."

"Alright." Brennan nodded thoughtfully. "I will keep track of hits, Booth. My superior intellect will make it easier for me to count them, and you can trust me because I am invariably honest."

Booth laughed. "Uh, sure, Bones. Sounds good. But, just so you know, part of what I'm teaching you here is how to just have fun. So relax, baby!" He punched her arm lightly. "Don't worry so much about the rules and just unload those darts on me. Can you do that?"

Brennan grinned. "Would you like to find out now?"

"That's my girl." He grinned back, standing up and grabbing his gun. "Front or back, Bones?"

"What?"

"Do you want to start in the kitchen or back in the bedrooms? Either way the couch is center."

"Oh…" Brennan picked up her gun. "I believe I would like to begin… here." She shot a dart at his face before whirling and taking off down the hall.

"Bones!" He pulled his gun up and took aim after her, his dart hitting her squarely in the backside. "Ha, take that!"

Her only response was to duck back into his bedroom, her laughter drifting towards him just before he heard his door slam.

"So that's how we're going to play this, huh?"

He headed after her, pausing at his door, his sniper-trained senses allowing him to clearly hear her on the other side. He smiled, making just enough noise to let her know he was there, even rattling the doorknob a little, before slipping into the room down the hall and to the right where Parker stayed when he visited.

He positioned himself near the door and stayed perfectly silent, waiting for her to wonder where he'd gone and come after him. It took her all of forty seconds to grow impatient, and she opened the door, stepping out into the hall and giving him a perfect shot.

He shot three darts at her back in quick succession, making her yelp and turn on him. He hadn't allowed for her quick learning curve and natural reflexes though and he got hit in the face with two darts of her own.

"Bones! Quit aiming for the face!" He yelled after her, following as she started back down the hall. She looked over her shoulder, saw him aiming again and darted into his bathroom. He blocked the door before she could shut it and chased her into the shower while he stood guard, tracking the bold stripes of the shower curtain that hid her, ready to fire at the first peek of Brennan.

"Gotcha now, Bones. How ya gonna get out of this one?" He taunted her, unable to stop grinning.

"Booth, that's not fair!"

"Wow, I'd hate for you to have to surrender before we even make it back into the living room." Taking aim, he shot a dart right in the center of the shower curtain.

"Booth!"

A dart came sailing over the shower curtain and landed harmlessly in the sink.

"Missed, Bones."

There was silence and then he heard a crash that he recognized as the rack holding his soaps and shampoos falling to the floor, followed by a sharp cry from his partner.

"Ow, Booth! Booth, my right phalanges!"

Suspicion and concern waged their own war in his mind and concern won out as he found himself unable to resist checking on her.

"Bones? You ok?" He lowered his gun, stepping towards the shower stall and pulling back the curtain. A dart hit him directly in the face and he took a step back, feeling her body press against him as she pushed past and ran out the door, cheering herself on.

He turned and caught the back of her shirt as she made it back into the hall and delivered a shot at point blank range to the back of her neck. "Bones Temperance Brennan, you are in so much trouble!" He attempted to wrangle his arm around her waist, but she grabbed his wrist and pinned him between the wall and her body without so much as breaking a sweat.

The gleam in her eyes was the sexiest thing he'd ever seen as she leaned close. "I'm winning." She whispered before pushing herself off of him and taking off for the kitchen, bypassing the safe-zone couch completely.

He ran after her, shooting darts at her legs, stopping only when she knocked down a bar stool behind her and ducked back behind the counter.

He picked up the barstool, setting it quietly back in its place, all the while waiting his impatient partner out. She wouldn't be able to stay in one spot for long and when she emerged, he would…

He shot her twice, once in the forehead and the second in the chest.

"I think I just might be winning now, Bones. What do you think?" He edged in closer, grinning like a fool as she jutted out her chin and stood her ground, her plastic gun aimed directly at his heart. "Whatcha gonna do now?"

She cocked an eyebrow at him. "Now that I've run you out of darts, Booth? Is that what you meant?"

He glanced down at his gun and found that he was indeed empty. "Hey, now wait a second, Bones…" He quickly scanned the floor, looking for ammunition he could pick up. "Just hold on…"

"No, no, Booth… " Brennan shook her head, edging forward so that the counter was now only partially between them. "If you wanted regulations about running out of ammunition, then you should have made more rules, shouldn't you?"

"Bones…"

"But this game is about having fun, not playing by rules."

"Bones, now come on…"

She eyed him, before giving a resigned sigh. "Alright, Booth, you may pick up a few darts. After all, it's more fun to win when one wins fairly." Brennan lowered her gun a fraction of an inch and Booth gave her his most charming smile in thanks.

"You're a doll, Bones."

"That is… untrue."

Reaching down, he started to pick up one of the stray darts only to look up in shock as her remaining darts repeatedly assaulted his backside. Laughing, Brennan shot her last dart at his head and made a break for the couch.

"Bones, you little cheat!" He called, taking off after her.

She skidded around his coffee table and just as she was about to land, triumphant, on the couch, he seized her waist, tumbling down after her and causing them to land in a twisted, tangled mess. He grunted as he landed on top of her, and automatically shifted his weight onto his hands, propping himself up enough not to crush her.

"That's what you get for cheating, Bones." He was still grinning, his competitive spirit sprinting at full speed. Then he looked down at her.

She was caught underneath him, her hair spread out around her, her cheeks pink from exertion, her blue eyes sparkling with fun. It wasn't a look he saw often on her, but it was breathtaking. He was suddenly conscious of her hands resting against his chest and her leg between his. He felt every curve of her full figure and was acutely aware of the thin material of her clothing.

Unbidden, his weight shifted, freeing one of his hands to move to her face, brushing the thick, rich hair out of her eyes, eyes that were locked on his. He could feel her heart beating quickly, her breath coming a little faster. The sound and the look and the feel of her drew him in until there wasn't another thing in his world except the gorgeous woman beneath him that, whether he wanted to be or not, he was attracted to in all the wrong ways.

His hand moved to the back of her neck, lifting her head up. He didn't have a plan, focused only on his desire to just be closer to her. Then her hands fisted in his t-shirt, her lips parted in surprise and he was lost to all semblance of reason.

Lowering his head, he captured her lips with his and sank them both back down into the couch.

~B/B~

**See… all the way to the end! ;-)**

**Hope you liked this chapter – and for those of you who have been paying attention to the timeline I've been talking about, we're on track. There will be a session in the next chapter. **

**Now, wouldn't you like to say thank you for the quick update (and the kiss!) with a nice review? *grin* Oh, and don't forget to answer the question from the A/N. I want to give you guys what you want! =)**


	14. The Forgetting in the Denial

**A/N: Hello again! I'm here and updating... finally. I really did NOT mean to leave you all with that cliffhanger for so many days, but it couldn't be helped, unfortunately. Real life happened, plus I re-wrote this chapter at least four times. But here it is, finally, and I hope you enjoy it. **

**I had over 80 reviews for the last chapter, which is... amazing. You guy are amazing. Thank you SO much! I want to, and absolutely will, reply to each of you individually, but as one reviewer stated, "Forget reviews - just post!"Or something to that effect. So I took that advice and concentrated on getting the next section up as quickly as I could instead of replying to reviews first. But I will still be replying to you all in the morning because I love hearing from you and discussing the chapters with you. =)**

**I know many of you have a lot of expectations for this chapter and I hope that it meets them! I'm not an angsty writer, so don't worry too much about that. And if your thirst for kissing is not quenched here, trust that it will be in upcoming chapters. ;-) Hint, hint. **

**Thank you to my wonderful beta, Hannah Taylor1. It's almost Thursday... and those of you who follow her story, "Problem Solving, The Booth and Brennan Way," know that means it's almost time for an update. Make sure you check it out and review! She's a very busy lady and she's working really hard to keep herself updating and me updating as well. =) Send her lots and lots of love for it.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own them...  
**

~B/B~

Thursday 8:23 P.M.

_Lowering his head, he captured her mouth with his and sank them both back down into the couch._

Warmth and softness surrounded Booth as his lips melded with Brennan's, touching, tasting and taking from her everything that she was giving. His hand cupped her face, his thumb gently tracing her cheek bone. Her hands were in his hair, dragging through it and leaving delicious trails of sensation in the wake of her nails. He slipped his arm around her waist, bringing her closer to him, and her lips parted under his in response, inviting him to explore her mouth. The first tentative touch of his tongue taunted a moan out from between her lips.

The sound sent him crashing back to reality as his mind cleared and he comprehended what was happening. He had his partner pinned to his couch and was recklessly crossing the line that they had drawn for themselves so long ago as his lips plundered hers and his hands urged her closer.

His eyes flew open and he jerked away from her, sitting up as though her skin had erupted into flames and was burning him. He pushed himself to the other end of the couch, knocking over her long-forgotten plate of pizza in the process.

"Bones, I'm so sorry… I didn't mean… I have no idea… I'm so sorry."

He closed his eyes, trying to process what had just happened, and figure out how to explain himself to her without sending her running out his door. Berating himself, he mourned the years of careful self-control that meant nothing now. They had been wiped away in one moment of weakness and insanity and… the need to finally act on what had started to feel so natural to him.

When he opened his eyes again, he watched as his partner slowly sat up, her fingers straightening her hair, the back of her hand pressing against her lips. She slid both of her feet to the floor and reached down to pick up the plate of pizza, settling it neatly back on the coffee table.

Unable to stand her calm silence, he pleaded, "Bones, say something. Do you want to yell at me? You can hit me if you want. I'm not going to stop you."

"Booth, relax." Brennan shook her head. "I'm not angry."

He raised his eyebrows, feeling shock rather than relief. "You're not?"

"No." Brennan settled herself back against the couch, her flush lingering in her cheeks. "If you recall, I responded to your advances."

Her words, formal as they were, sent him plunging into the memory of her mouth moving under his. She was right. He'd initiated the kiss, but in his panic over his actions, he'd failed to take into account the fact that she had urged him on willingly. Reaching up, he smoothed down the hair that she had ruffled with her roaming fingers.

"Why?" He demanded. Being abrupt was usually her thing, but in this case he desperately needed to know. Her easy acceptance of what had happened between them was throwing him completely off. If he had been a betting man, and he had been, he'd have staked a year's salary on her being long gone by now.

And yet here she was.

"Why, Bones?" He asked again.

She took a deep breath before she answered and he could have sworn he saw discomfort flicker briefly on her calm face. "We're both very attractive people, Booth. People with healthy biological urges. It's only natural that we be attracted to each other."

Force of habit had him wanting to baldly deny any attraction, but he figured that was relatively pointless considering only moments earlier he had been kissing her like his life depended on it. Heck, it had felt like his life really did depend on it.

When he didn't respond, she continued. "We have been attracted to each other since our first case. We've simply chosen to compartmentalize those feelings in order to cultivate a more productive partnership and friendship. But compartmentalization, while quite effective, is not flawless, Booth. It is perfectly logical, considering our level of familiarity with each other and the amount of time we spend together, that circumstances could lead us to… slip-up."

He could do little more than blink at her and be amazed at her ability to rationalize her way through anything. His entire being objected to her clinical assessment of what had happened. He hadn't kissed her because he felt a particularly strong biological urge hit him at the exact moment he happened to be on top of her.

He had kissed her because she was adorable when she was holding a Nerf gun, because she was sexy in his underclothes, because she was his best friend, and an amazing person and because she was… Bones. His Bones.

She was still waiting for him to respond, and he looked into her eyes, reading her the way only he could. Her words were straightforward enough, casual enough. To a stranger or an acquaintance, even a close friend, she might appear to be entirely calm and rational. But he knew why she laced her fingers together in her lap. He knew why she jutted her chin forward just enough to be barely noticeable. He knew what it meant when she suddenly began blinking more rapidly.

It meant she was nervous, vulnerable. It meant she needed him to step in and protect her from whatever it was that was chipping away at the protective casing of her world. Just because it was him that was doing the chipping this time, didn't mean he couldn't also be the one to fix it.

He sat forward on the couch, resting his elbows on his knees, maintaining his hold on her gaze. "A slip-up." He nodded slowly. "Perfectly natural."

"Yes." She said firmly. "In fact, anthropology demonstrates that people with similar physical, mental or economical status in a society inevitably seek each other out for companionship, both platonically and romantically. This phenomenon is evident in nearly all cultures, from the most ancient to…"

"Bones…" He cut her off, shaking his head gently. "Don't go all squinty on me here, ok? Not now." It was just another sign of her anxiety, but it wasn't one he was willing to indulge at the moment. Not when they had so much else to discuss.

She started to protest, but stopped and simply nodded. "Booth…"

He heard the request in her voice and stepped up. "Look, Bones, you're right. You're right. People slip up sometimes." A brain wave hit him, and he snapped his fingers. "Hey, remember Rebecca? That was a mistake, right? We just got our old feelings all jumbled up and we… well anyway. It's the same kind of thing. It happens."

"Yes!" She latched on to his analogy eagerly. "Exactly. You were attracted to Rebecca and you had strong feelings for her…"

"Sure. I love Becca. You know… not in _that _way. Anymore. Just in the…"

"In the way you love me. As a friend."

He dropped his eyes, wishing he didn't feel like he was lying to her somehow. "Right."

"But you and Rebecca are still friends." Brennan continued. "Your lack of self-control didn't cost you your friendship."

He jerked his eyes back up to hers. "Geez, Bones, no. Of course not. And it's not going to cost us ours." He felt his throat tighten as he spoke. "Right?"

Brennan nodded, offering something close to a smile. "Right."

He let out a sigh, lifting his hand to the back of his neck to rub out some of the tension there. Sitting back against the couch again, figuring it was in the best interest of them both if he kept a little space between them, he asked, "So what now? What do we do here?"

Brennan looked around the room. "I suppose we could recover the darts we've scattered around your apartment and conclude your lesson." Was her thoughtful reply.

He gaped at her. "Seriously, Bones?"

She frowned. "I had assumed we were done with the game, but if you…"

"Bones!" He shook his head in amazement. "I'm asking about the… kiss. What do we do about the kiss?"

"Oh." Brennan's forehead wrinkled in confusion. "What is it that you would like to do about it?"

_Rinse and repeat._

He nearly rolled his eyes at himself, dropping his hand from his neck and resting it on a denim-clad thigh. "I don't know, Bones. I guess we just… forget about it."

Brennan cocked her head. "I think that would be impossible. However, it is probably best that we act as though we have forgotten it." She paused, thinking, nodding to herself. "As though it were a contaminant in an experiment . We will simply disregard the results it produced."

Once again, he balked against her reasoning, not wanting to associate words like contaminant and disregard with his memory of their kiss. He wanted to associate words like warmth and softness and desire with the feeling of her mouth on his. But those were the kinds of thoughts he owed it to her not to have. Those were the thoughts that he was going to have to find a way to lock back away in the dark recesses of his mind where they belonged.

So disregarding the contaminant it was.

"Yeah," He nodded. "Sure. We'll just disregard it. Never happened."

"I think that's best."

"Yep. Me too."

Silence fell between them, the awkwardness that had stayed somewhat at bay while they were consumed with figuring out what had happened between them now rushing back in. He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye and found her looking at him too. He couldn't help but wonder if she was remembering their kiss as vividly as he was. The very idea of it made him want to squirm like four-year-old Parker getting a haircut.

Unable to take it any longer, he spoke. "So, I, uh, guess we're done here."

"Yes." Brennan stood, smoothing his undershirt over her stomach, unwittingly tempting him to take back every word he'd just said, grab her and kiss her all over again. He resisted and she continued, "I'll just get my things. I left my clothes on your bed."

Of course she had. "Yeah, sure." He stood too, gesturing down the hall. "No problem. Just… go on back. I'll just stay out here and…" He trailed off, feeling stupid. "Anyway, you know where the bedroom is."

Brennan disappeared and Booth sank back down into the couch, dropping his head into his hands and cursing himself. "Great move." He muttered under his breath. "No, really… well done. Why don't you just maul your partner tonight, Seeley? Oh, and while you're at it, make sure the kiss is so amazing that you'll never be able to forget what you can't have."

Standing up again, he kicked the coffee table hard enough to send their empty beer bottles clattering and case files falling to the floor. Cursing out loud this time, he bent over to pick them up.

"Booth…?" Brennan's voice sounded soft and far away. "Are you alright?"

"Great, Bones!" He called back to her. "Doing great out here. You? What about you? Everything ok?"

There was a long pause that gave him plenty of time to kick himself.

"I'm fine, Booth."

"Good. Great." He tossed the case files back on the table before heading to the kitchen. "Glad to hear it."

~B/B~

Thursday 8:31 P.M.

Brennan sighed, sitting herself down on Booth's bed. Even she could hear the thick tension in his tone just now as he called to her from the living room. Closing her eyes, she reached up and touched her lips, wondering at the fact that she could still almost feel the pressure he had placed there. The immediate response she'd had to him had been shocking and a little embarrassing, especially when he was suddenly scrambling off of and away from her, while she was still so deep in the throes of the kiss that her overactive brain hadn't even begun to process what she was doing.

She had meant everything she had said to him. Every word. She was attracted to him. There was little point in denying it. And he was obviously attracted to her. She would expect nothing less. Given those variables, the logical conclusion to draw is that at some point, that biological attraction would override their better judgment and lead them to act on it.

It didn't mean anything more than a natural, physical reaction to each other.

Standing up, she slipped off his borrowed clothes and replaced them with her own, carefully folding his underthings and laying them on the bed. Walking over to the mirror, she scrutinized her features, taking in the flushed skin, the glittering eyes, the full lips. She was still aroused and almost grateful to see the physical manifestations of it.

It had to be her arousal that was responsible for the regret she felt that the kiss had ended as quickly as it had. It had to be what was making her wish he had counteracted her logic, instead of being so willing to accept it. But arousal would fade, and so would her regrets, and then everything would be back to normal. They'd made a mistake and they would move on.

Finally ready, Brennan opened the door to his bedroom and stepped back out into the hall, closing the door behind her. She headed back to the living room, searching for him and finding him in the kitchen, putting away the left over pizza. A pile of darts sat on his counter and all the picture frames and the few knick-knacks he'd protected were back in place. He looked calmer too, and she was relieved. When she stepped into the kitchen, he glanced towards her, a hesitant smile on his lips.

"You cleaned quickly." She observed, gesturing around the room. "I would have helped."

"Nah, don't worry about it." He shrugged. "My mess, not yours."

He stayed by the fridge and she seemed unable to move away from the doorway, leaving a good five or six feet of space between them. They were still awkward and the tension prompted her to react in the only way she knew how.

"I should go home now. I have a number of things to accomplish tonight before I go to bed and then tomorrow will be a very long day. I need to get some rest."

"Right, yeah." Booth ran a hand over his jaw and moved towards her, passing her to grab his keys off of the small table beside his door. "I'll drive you back to your car."

"There's no need." Brennan accepted the purse he handed to her. "I'll just call a cab. It'll be simpler."

He gave her a look and shook his head. "No way, Bones. I'm taking you back."

When she still hesitated, he let out a sigh and shoved his hands in his pockets.

"Hey, it's alright if you're not comfortable being alone with me right now, Bones. If you want, you can call the cab and I'll just follow behind. Make sure you get home alright."

Brennan's eyes widened and she took a step towards him. "No, it's not that, Booth."

"Then what?"

"Nothing." She decided, picking up her coat and putting it on without his assistance for the first time in… longer than she could remember. "I accept your offer. Thank you."

He held the door open for her, giving her a brief smile. "No problem."

~B/B~

They rode in silence for the most part. He occasionally grumbled about traffic and she asked what he meant when he'd said one driver was, "dumber than a box of rocks." But other than that, the silence lingered and threatened to suffocate them.

Brennan was relieved when he pulled up to her car in the Jeffersonian parking garage. She reached for the door handle and had started to climb down from his truck when she felt his hand on her arm. Settling back into her seat, she met his eyes.

"Look, Bones…" He trailed off, his jaw clenching down. "I just… I know we're pretending nothing happened and all… but you know that I'm sorry, right? Yeah, you kissed me back but… I started it and I feel like a jerk who took advantage of you."

"Booth…"

"Let me finish. Look, you can trust me, ok? It's not going to happen again. I won't slip-up again. I don't care about biological urges and inevitabilities and whatnot. I'm not going to let any of that happen again. Alright? Do you know that?"

"Booth, stop talking." Brennan ordered sharply. "You and I both know that I am perfectly capable of defending myself if necessary, just as we both know that, had I protested for even a moment, you would have immediately stopped. I appreciate the sentiment of your apology, but it's unnecessary."

Booth gave a semblance of a smile. "Trust me, Bones, it was necessary. I needed to say it. But thanks." He took a deep breath before speaking again. "Then before we forget the whole thing… there's something else we should figure out. Sweets." Booth gave her a sheepish look. "Tomorrow morning, bright and early."

"Ah." Brennan nodded. "I see."

"Yeah. Look, Bones, there are some things the kid just doesn't need to know about…"

"There have been several such things lately."

Booth let out a small laugh, produced more by nerves than amusement. "Yeah, I guess there have. Still…"

"I'm not going to inform Sweets about our slip-up, Booth. If that is your concern."

"Good. Ok. Me either. He'd just take it the wrong way, and we don't need to mess with that right now."

Brennan nodded. "I agree."

"Right."

They looked at each other for a long moment, and Brennan stirred restlessly under his gaze. "I should go."

"Sure."Booth shifted his gaze away. "Guess you should. I'll see ya tomorrow, Bones."

Brennan started to get out of the car once again, but stopped, looking over her shoulder at her partner. "I'm glad we're ok, Booth."

"Yeah, we're great." He gave her a smile. "Night."

"Goodnight, Booth."

~B/B~

Friday 8:01 A.M.

Booth leaned against the doorjamb of his partner's office, watching as she went through her early morning routine, locating what she needed to work on, checking messages, reading emails. The pale blue dress she had on highlighted her eyes and her figure all at once, unobstructed by her lab coat. She hadn't had any reason to tie her hair back from her face yet, and it was still spilling down around her shoulders, framing her face. She looked beautiful.

His hand shoved deep in his pocket, rubbing at the smooth center of his faithful poker chip, as he steeled himself to do what he had decided he had to. He had to go in there and act like nothing had ever happened. She was used to taking cues from him in social situations. If he could just act like it was any other morning, she would too, and they could just go on like always. Just like they had said they would. Just as if he'd been able to sleep last night, just as if he still didn't remember what it was like to really kiss her.

Taking a deep breath, he pulled his hand out of his pocket and knocked lightly, smiling easily at her when she raised her eyes to his.

"Heya, Bones." He strode in, finding his usual perching spot on her desk. "I just got the weirdest call from Sweets."

"Oh?" Her tone was cautious, reserved, but her expression was open enough, and he just kept smiling at her.

"Yeah, he said he wants to meet on the grounds of the Hoover building. You know, that track I showed you one time. Where we do some of our training." He shrugged easily. "He wouldn't say why, but I was told to make sure you knew, so here I am. You look nice this morning. I like that color."

Brennan looked down at her dress, then back at him, her head tilted slightly as she studied him. "Thank you." She finally answered, smiling.

He rapped his knuckles against her desk, easing his hip off of the polished wood. "Yep. So, since I'm here anyway, wanna just catch a ride back to with me? I figure we'll start in on the case right after Sweets. I came in a little early and worked up some new leads I want to follow through on. Sound good?"

She was really smiling now. "Yes, that should be fine."

"Great." He walked over to where she had draped her coat over the couch and held it out for her. "Traffic is still a little heavy. We should go ahead and leave."

She let him help her into her coat, and he was careful to make sure that his hands didn't rest or linger on her anywhere. As soon as he'd accomplished his task, he took a step back, camouflaging the distancing movement by looking around her office. "Need anything else?"

"No, I'm ready."

"Then let's move it. Chop, chop, Bones. Busy day here."

He walked beside her as they left the building, sending her side-long glances now and then to see if she had picked up on the fact that he was deliberately not touching her as they walked. If she did notice, she wasn't reacting, and he was grateful for small miracles.

Talking to her normally was done easily enough, but the touching was something he was going to have to work himself back up to. Right now, just the thought of resting his hand on the small of her back had him contemplating about how easily he could use the position of his fingers to guide her into his body. That was a temptation he didn't need.

Shock jolted through him as her hand slid around his arm. He looked down at her and she met his gaze happily. She looked so pleased, so relieved that things were normal between them, that he didn't have the heart to disengage himself from her, even if the touch of her fingers had sent his heart rate spiking. Resigning himself to the setback in his plan to keep his distance, he returned her smile and placed his free hand over hers, pressing her fingers lightly.

Nothing like a little self-imposed torture to start off a day.

~B/B~

Friday 8:33 A.M.

On the car ride over, he'd begun a debate with her over something he knew absolutely nothing about, making just the right number of completely unfounded statements to set her off. When she'd begun arguing with him, he stubbornly stuck to his original point, holding back his pleased smile as she slipped right back into normal interactions with him. The familiarity of their back and forth was well worth having to listen to her ramble on even as they walked across the Hoover grounds towards the area Sweets had designated.

"… so, obviously, Booth, leeches do have a proper place in modern medicine. Without them, surgeons would have little defense against venous insufficiency."

He shook his head. "Sorry, Bones, not possible. That's just way too gross."

"You cannot disregard fact based on your level of revulsion to it!" Brennan insisted as they approached the impatiently waiting Sweets.

"Good morning, Agent Booth, Dr. Brennan." Sweets stepped forward, waving a hand. "Obviously you two have already found something argue about this morning. Is it something we need to discuss?"

"Not unless you're interested in leech functions." Booth said drolly.

Sweets paused. "Uh, no. Good because I had to pull a lot of strings to have this field set up for us and we really need to get rolling But first… how did the teaching assignment go?"

Booth could feel Brennan's eyes on him, but didn't turn to look at her. "Bones made me do yoga." Booth offered, stalling the inevitable discussion of the Nerf war.

Sweets eyes lit up. "Yoga? You're kidding? You actually did yoga?"

"Oh yeah. There was definite twisting of some stuff and some stretching of other things. You know… yoga stuff." Booth narrowed his gaze. "But that's never to be repeated, Sweets. Got that? Cause only the three of us here know about it, and if people start talking saying thing to me, I'll know it was you. Bones here knows better than to say anything, don't you, Bones?"

Sweets was holding back his laugh and raised his hands in mock surrender. "No, no, I get it. I mean, do you even know what the guys would say to you if they knew?" Sweets shook his head, the laugh escaping him. "Wow. That is so great. You have no idea."

Booth crossed his arms over his chest. "Sweets?"

"Yeah?"

"Shut up."

Sweets cleared his throat, stifling his amusement and nodding. "Uh, right. Sorry." He managed. "Anyway, what did you teach Dr. Brennan?"

"Booth instructed me on playing with Nerf guns." Brennan spoke up before Booth could give his carefully cultivated reply. "We engaged in a Nerf battle in his apartment, which was very enjoyable despite the fact that there was not a clear winner."

"A Nerf war." Sweets looked between the partners. "You had a Nerf war."

"Is there something amusing about that too, Sweets?" Booth challenged the therapist.

"No… no. Just… hard to imagine." Sweets shook his head. "Well I guess, in a roundabout way, you guys got the point of the exercise."

"Which was what, precisely?" Brennan asked. "Because I attempted to decipher the benefit to our partnership, and was unable to find one."

"Well, Dr. Brennan, would you have ever had a Nerf war if Agent Booth hadn't chosen that as his activity to teach you?"

Brennan frowned. "There's no way for me to answer that question." She said slowly, then glanced at Booth. "But I suppose I can state that is not an activity I would likely have pursued on my own."

"Hmm." Sweets turned to Booth. "And would you have ever have tried yoga if not for Dr. Brennan?"

"Definitely not."

"So… you both have things that you can add to each other's lives. Even small things like this. And, I think you guys have to admit that even though you were both wary at first about these lessons, in the end you enjoyed them."

Booth glanced at Brennan and found her staring back at him. He swallowed hard, knowing they were both attaching a different meaning to Sweets words, and looked quickly away.

Sweets was still talking. "Which means… if you two keep open minds about learning from each other and listening to each other's point of views, you'll probably be glad of it in the long run."

Getting impatient and definitely ready to stop talking about last night's events before someone – Bones – accidentally gave them away, Booth snapped his fingers, gesturing to the field. "That's great and all, Sweets, but what are we doing out here? Is there a point or did your doctor just recommend you get more vitamin D?"

Brennan chuckled. "Sweets, that is amusing because the sun provides vitamin D through skin absorption, and see… you are quite pale. Booth is implying that your skin color is abnormal."

"Thank you, Dr. Brennan." Sweets muttered. "So glad you explained that to me."

Booth grinned down at his partner, bumping his shoulder against hers, feeling a moment of complete normalcy as they shared the joke.

"If either of you are actually concerned, the reason we're out here is because most of our session is going to be dedicated to trust exercises. I've got a couple things I want us to do, but they both require one of you to be blindfolded. Are you guys ok with that?"

The partners exchanged glances. "I think you should just tell us what we're doing, Sweets." Booth crossed his arms, eyeing the therapist.

"The first is something called a blind crossing." Sweets explained. "One of you will stand in a designated spot, while the other is blindfolded, standing about thirty feet away. Whichever of you is not blindfolded will use verbal directions to guide the other to you."

"Why?" Brennan frowned, her eyes narrowing.

"Well it's a trust exercise, Dr. Brennan. It's designed to build trust." Sweets said slowly.

"Hey, just watch the sarcasm there, Sweets." Booth interjected. "I think what Bones wants to know is why in the world we would agree to that? We didn't come to you to work on building trust, you know. We already trust each other with our lives every time we go out in the field. We don't need to work on trust, we need to work on the opposite of that."

Sweets held his ground. "I understand why you and Dr. Brennan have come to me for help. I do. All I ask is that you actually allow me to help you. By strengthening your trust in each other, it will be easier for you to be sure of each other, even when there are other people you're involved with. Building trust is essential to creating a healthy relationship of any kind."

"And shouting to each other across thirty feet is going to give us a healthier relationship?" Booth challenged.

"It will build trust, yes. And so will the Running Free exercise." Sweets insisted.

"Which is what?" Brennan asked.

"It's an exercise where one of you will, once again, be blindfolded while one of you is not. You'll hold hands, start at a slow walk, and gradually get faster until you're running together. Most people find it quiet liberating."

"Yeah, I'm not doing that." Booth shook his head, starting to turn away. "Sorry, Sweets, but we have important stuff to do. I'm not gonna run around in a field with a blindfold on. Not happening."

"Booth…"

"Bones, come on. Let's go."

"Booth, we agreed to submit to Sweets' therapy techniques. If you want to avoid this particular exercise, you'll have to use your veto."

Booth gave her a look. "Fine, Bones, I veto it. We good now?" He clapped his hands together. "To the car!"

"I don't think it's very wise for you to use your veto simply because you don't see the point in Sweets' suggestion." Brennan placed her hand on Booth's arm, holding him back. "Your veto could be much better used on an activity designed to create a change in our partnership that you didn't want. For instance, in hindsight, perhaps you should have used your veto on the teaching assignment."

"Bones!" Booth hissed, leaning close in a belated attempt to encourage her to talk quietly. "Have you lost your mind?" He muttered under his breath.

"Why would you have vetoed the teaching assignment?" Sweets drew closer, his interest piqued.

"We wouldn't have." Booth said quickly, taking Brennan's arm and placing just enough pressure on it to distract her from answering Sweets herself. "Why would we? Hey, you know what we should do right now though? The blindfold thingy. Bones is right… better to save the veto. Lead the way, Sweets."

Sweets raised his eyebrow, looking between the two for a long moment. "Ok, I'm picking up on a weird vibe here, but we don't have a lot of time on the field so we kind of need to keep moving."

"Right behind you."

When Sweets turned away to walk over the area set aside for them, Booth shot a glance at Brennan. "Bones, think before you speak, will you? You almost just gave us away."

"I was making a point." Brennan protested.

"Yeah, well, we're _supposed_ to be acting like it didn't happen. We can't do that if we talk about it and especially if we talk about it in front of Sweets."

"I apologize." Brennan sniffed, pulling her arm from his grasp. "In the future, I will be more careful about even alluding to yesterday evening, considering it upsets you so much."

She moved ahead of him, walking closer to Sweets and he stopped, gesturing helplessly at the air before resting a hand on his hip. This morning was not going according to plan in the slightest.

"Agent Booth?"

"Yeah, yeah."

~B/B~

Friday 8:54 A.M.

Sweets tied Brennan's blindfold behind her head and moved to stand in front of her. "Ok, how does that feel?" When she nodded her acceptance, he held up his hand. "How many fingers am I holding up?"

Without pausing, Brennan reached her hand up and deftly felt his fingers before lowering at again. "Three."

Sweets shot an astounded look at Booth who was standing at Brennan's side, smirking. "Uh… ok, you get that that's not what I was asking right? I was asking if you could see."

Brennan cocked her head, looking slightly comical with the black fabric tied around her eyes. "Of course I can't see, Sweets. I'm blindfolded."

"Anyway…" Sweets shook his head. "Just stand here, right at this spot. Agent Booth and I are going to head over to the finish line and he will call to you when he's ready, ok? If at any time you feel uncomfortable, just let us know."

"I understand."

"Good. Agent Booth?"

"Yeah, I get it. Look, Sweets, can you give me a minute with my partner, here? Just head on over to the wherever and I'll be there in a second."

"If there's something you need to say to Dr. Brennan, then…"

"Sweets." Booth cut him off with a look. "I'll be there in a second."

Looking vaguely irritated, Sweets nodded and walked away, leaving the two partners alone. Booth turned to Brennan, touching her arm so she would know where he was.

"Bones, look, if we're gonna do this you have to actually be listening to me. If you're focused on being mad at me instead of what I'm saying to you, you could hurt yourself. So just… don't be mad anymore, alright? I'm sorry."

"I'm not angry."

"Sure you are, Bones. I snapped at you and I shouldn't have. You just freaked me out there for a second, ok? Maybe I'm still a little on edge after… everything."

"You seemed fine this morning." Her voice held a note of vulnerability and he sighed, sliding his hand down to hers.

"I am fine. We're fine. But you're the compartmentalization expert here, not me. Give me a little time, alright?"

"Fine."

"Thanks, Bones." He squeezed her fingers before releasing her hand. "So you're good to start now? You're going to listen to what I'm telling you and actually do it for once?"

"I don't have much choice, do I?"

"Not really." He chuckled. "Hey, maybe I'll keep you blindfolded in the field all the time."

He easily dodged the hand she intended to slap against his shoulder. "Behave, Bones. I'll call for you in just a second. Don't worry, ok?"

"I'm fine."

Booth walked over to Sweets, giving the therapist a glance as he settled into place.

"Everything ok?" Sweets asked casually.

"Peachy." Booth responded just as easily. Then, raising his voice, he called to his partner. "Bones? Can you hear me?"

"Yes." Her answer was calm and confident, making him smile.

"Alright, you're about thirty feet away from me, Bones. A little to my left. I want you to take three good sized steps to your right, ok?"

"I need stricter parameters, Booth. I'm not sure what you mean by good-sized."

Booth smiled, involuntarily taking a step towards her. Sweets reached out and stopped him, laying a hand on his arm. "You have to stay behind the line, Agent Booth."

Booth glanced from the young psychologist's face to the hand on his arm, raising his eyebrows. Sweets dropped his hand quickly and Booth took the required step back.

"Booth?"

"I'm here, Bones. Look, just take three regular steps to the right, ok? We'll go from there."

She complied and he eyeballed her position. "Great job, Bones. I'm straight ahead of you now. If you walked a straight line for thirty feet, you'd be right in front of me. Understand?"

"Yes." Brennan started to walk forward.

"Hold on, Bones. Sweets stuck some stuff in your way. Just stay where you are for a second." Booth leaned to his right, eyeing the distance between where she was and the first box she'd have to walk around. "Two steps forward, Bones."

"Regular sized steps?"

"Yep."

She followed his directions and he slowly guided her around the first box, praising her loudly when she completed the task easily. "Hey, Bones?"

"Yes?"

"Guess what… Sweets here laid out the course on a pattern. Genius, right? Just keep doing the same thing. Two steps forward, two to the left, two steps forward and two to the right. You need to do it four more times and you'll be done."

Brennan nodded and began navigating the remainder of the course with a precision that undermined any necessity for further guidance. Sweets crossed his arms and glared at Booth who only smirked in return.

"You know, the point of the exercise is for you to guide her the entire way."

Booth laughed. "Bones isn't that kind of girl, Sweets. All she needs is to be shown what to do and then she'll do it flawlessly every time. She's not the type who needs you to hold her hand."

Sweets nodded. "Hmm, that's too bad, considering how much you enjoy holding her hand."

Booth gaped for a moment, before glaring. "You know… you should really watch yourself, Sweets. Small guy like you… you could run into trouble someday."

Rather than responding to the thinly veiled threat, Sweets nodded towards Brennan who was quickly approaching the two men. "Here she comes."

"Booth? Am I in the correct place."

"Yep, you're doing great, Bones. Couple more steps, ok? I'm holding out my hand, but the kid dictator won't let me cross the line, so you'll have to come run into it, alright?"

Brennan moved forward, holding out her own hand until her fingers met Booth's and held on as he pulled her across the line.

"There ya go." He released her and moved his hands up to the back of her head, untying the blindfold and easing it off of her. "All done."

Brennan smiled briefly and reached her hands up to smooth down her hair. Booth watched her, taking in the look of concentration on her face, the sheen of her hair in the sunlight. Brennan's eyes locked with his and she raised her eyebrows.

"What?"

"Uh, nothing." He lifted his hand to her cheek and wiped away an imaginary smudge. "You had something here." He told her, using the pad of his thumb to smooth across her cheekbone as memories of the night before once assaulted him.

"Thank you." She handed him the blindfold. "Your turn, I believe."

He stared at the scrap of cloth in his hand and frowned. "I don't know, Bones. Good as you are, I've had a lot more training than you. I'd just feel better if I was the one leading when we're running."

Brennan's mouth formed something dangerously close to a pout. "You agreed to this. When Sweets first brought out the blindfold, I clearly stated that I would dislike running while blindfolded and you agreed that you would be the one to do so."

"Yeah…" Booth hesitated.

Sweets stepped around the agent and took the blindfold from him. "It's kind of a done deal now, Agent Booth. You each have to be blindfolded for one exercise and Dr. Brennan already put her time in. Awesome job, by the way, Dr. Brennan. Very controlled."

"I'm very good at most things, Sweets."

"Agent Booth, I'm going to blindfold you now, alright?" Sweets chose to ignore Brennan's response, moving on quickly.

"Sure, why not." Booth muttered as the world suddenly disappeared behind the black fabric.

"Alright," Sweets stepped back and Booth suddenly heard his voice on his left side. "Dr. Brennan, do you see the circular track that starts right over there? I want you to lead Agent Booth along it. You should walk for the first half, jog for the second and work up to a run as you start the second lap. Two laps altogether. Are you comfortable with that?"

"What about if I'm comfortable with it?" Booth piped up, deciding he did not like not being able to see. It made him jittery, and he was already jittery enough as it was.

Brennan reached out and took his hand. "We understand." She answered for both of them. "Booth, I'm going to begin walking now. The track starts approximately four and a half meters to our right."

"That doesn't help me, Bones."

"Just follow me. I won't allow you to fall."

'I'm not worried about falling." Booth muttered, but let Brennan lead him, their hands linked between them. As they approached the course, neither spoke much and Booth slowly adjusted until he could find the pleasure in simply walking beside his partner. Her fingers were cool against his, her hand small in his large one.

"You're awfully quiet, Bones." He said when several minutes had passed. "Everything alright?"

"I'm perfectly fine." She informed him. "But we will need to begin jogging in a moment though. Are you prepared for that?"

"Sure, whatever." He nodded, raising his free hand to loosen the collar of his shirt that suddenly felt tight against his neck. "Just say the word, Bones."

A moment later he felt her speed up beside him. "Jog now, Booth." She instructed and he matched her pace, her hand still tight in his. It was disorienting to be moving so quickly while he couldn't see and he gripped her hand a little tighter, grateful that he really could trust her. He couldn't think of another person that he would ever agree to do this with.

Moments passed and he tracked the gentle curve of the path in his mind, knowing that they would soon be speeding up again.

"We need to run now, Booth." Came her slightly breathless voice and he nodded, waiting for her to speed up so that he could match his pace to hers. It was surprising to him how well he could read her even though he couldn't see her. He could tell when the track was about to curve by the way she pressed her fingers against his hand, he could tell when she was looking over at him by the strange sensation that crawled over his skin while her eyes were pinned on him. He could hear her breath quickening and knew she would have a faint sheen of sweat on her forehead, glimmering on her neck.

He was so focused on using his senses to read her, that he wasn't paying attention to what she actually said as she attempted to warn him to come to a stop. When she suddenly stopped beside him, he stumbled for a moment and she reached out her hand to steady him as he searched for his balance.

Latching on to her, he steadied himself, her arm wrapped around his torso, his around her shoulders. The blindfold was starting to slip down and he reached his free hand up and took it off, dropping it on the ground as he wiped sweat out of his eyes.

He could sense her looking at him again and met her gaze against his better judgment, brown eyes locking on blue. She smiled and he returned the gesture faintly.

"You did very well, Booth." She rested her hand against his chest and pushed back slightly from him, tilting her head to see him better. "If this exercise actually does measure levels of trust, it would seem that we certainly aren't lacking."

"Nah, we're pretty good in the trust department." He lifted his arm from her shoulders and reached up to wipe it over his face. "You were great out there too. Very smooth, confident. You done good, Bones."

"Thank you." She smiled in genuine pleasure and he let out a sigh, wishing that her every expression, every gesture, didn't make him want to taste her lips again.

Sweets walked over, clapping lightly. "You guys, that was wicked smooth. I didn't want to tell you this before, but most people fall at least once when they're doing this. But it was like you were reading each other without even talking. Displaying that level of trust is really impressive"

"Bones is a good leader."

"And Booth is very surefooted."

"Yeah, well you both did really well, but, uh, we kind of have to get off the field pretty much now. So the session is done for today and you have an assignment free weekend. Sort of."

"Sort of?" Booth cocked an eyebrow at the therapist. "What does that mean?"

"Well, you don't have to do anything… you just have to not do something." Sweets said helpfully.

Brennan frowned. "I don't understand."

"Agent Booth, you will be with your son this weekend, won't you? I assume so, considering you weren't last weekend."

"Yeah, I'll have Parker, Sweets, but leave him out of this. Why are you asking about him?"

Sweets held up a pacifying hand. "Only because that means you won't be working this weekend, right?"

"Right…"

"Good. Because your assignment for the weekend is to spend it apart. Like with the vacation, no contact at all."

"Why?" Brennan asked, looking at Booth in what he briefly considered to be alarm, before deciding he'd misread the expression.

"Because you've been spending a lot of time together this week with the therapy and the various assignments. It's important to keep a balance, create some distance. So, since you two have no professional reason to be together this weekend, your task is to not see each other until Monday."

Booth looked at Brennan and noted her discomfort with the idea. Normally he would have simply ignored Sweets' request or at least fought against it pretty hard, but, truthfully, he could use some distance from his apparently irresistible partner. Maybe a weekend to clear his head, do some confessing and some soul searching was exactly what he needed to get things back to normal between them.

Shrugging nonchalantly, Booth spoke. "Sure, Sweets. Weekend apart, got it. Which means we need to book. Thanks for the… running and stuff, but we need to get busy."

He pointedly didn't look at Brennan, not wanting to see disappointment on her face if it was there. He hated making her unhappy, but comforted himself with the fact that, in the long run, she'd be a lot happier if he got his act together.

Clapping Sweets on the arm, Booth gestured to his partner. "Let's move it, Bones. Looks like we've got a full plate today."

~B/B~

**Ok, so I know this was long! I tried to shorten it, but it would only ever be lengthened. Hope you guys don't mind.**

**I am actually VERY nervous about this chapter, so if you all would be SO wonderful as to review again this time, I would really, really appreciate it. We writers (as many of you know) spend hours and hours working on these chapters for readers and hearing back from you makes all the effort completely worth it. So drop me a note! =) **

**Next chapter hint: Since when do two people EVER stay that rational about kissing? ;-)  
**


	15. The Frustration in the Feelings

**A/N: Happy weekend, Bones fans! =) To celebrate, how about another chapter? You guys have really been pulling out all the stops with the reviews lately! The response to the last chapter was amazing and I'm so grateful for all of your comments. I've responded to some of you, but I'll have to wait until tomorrow to get to everyone else. School has started again and I'm officially back to real life after a blissful summer of nothing to do but write. So... I'm going to be going to once a week updates. Every Saturday night I will post a new chapter. I know that's a long time between chapters. I'm sad about it too. =(**

**But to tide you over until then... here's an almost 9,000 word chapter! =) **

**Small warning: This may feel angsty to some of you. I can understand that - it is a little angsty. I simply don't buy into the whole "Booth and Brennan kiss once, fall in love, overcome all obstacles and decide to be together forever" type of story. Not to say they don't have a purpose... I just don't find them very realistic. So, yes, there is a bit of a struggle here. I hope you find it realistic and not too drawn out. Because that's not something I buy into either - the idea that B/B need six full seasons to get together, just to give a completely random, unplanned example (REMEMBER - I'M SPOILER FREE). Anyway, once again, I'm not a terribly angsty author, so just stick with me. =)**

**Thank you to my lovely, brilliant beta Hannah Taylor1. She's ever so kind and helpful and points out glaring errors to me, such as when I have Booth attempt to discuss Brennan's period with her. So you can thank her for that one in particular. Seriously, though, go thank her. She loves feedback from her readers and definitely deserves it for her story, "Problem Solving, The Booth and Brennan Way."**

**Disclaimer: I don't own them.  
**

~B/B~

Sunday 11:59 A.M.

The knock on Booth's door temporarily drowned out the sound of the sports channel commentator he was only half listening to. Assuming the worst, Booth dropped on the back of his couch and closed his eyes. It had to be Rebecca at the door. She'd picked Parker up four hours ago and she'd been furious about the long gash in their son's leg. Booth hadn't been that happy about it either, but he hadn't been the one yelling. Even Parker hadn't yelled as much as Rebecca.

Now she was back for round two and he just wasn't up for it.

Standing up, he dragged himself to the door, not bothering to grab the t-shirt he'd discarded in his effort to get comfortable and settle in for the night. Rebecca had seen him in a lot less than a pair of sweatpants and she'd just have to deal with it.

Pulling open the door, he let out a sigh. "Look, Rebecca… Bones!" He could feel the smile stretch across his face. "Bones! What are you doing here?" Relieved at seeing a friendly face instead of a hostile one, and more than glad to see her after two long days of absence, he reached out and pulled her inside, sneaking a side hug in the process. "I am so glad to see you – you have no idea."

Brennan smiled at his enthusiasm, "I'm glad to see you too, Booth. I was concerned that I would wake you." Her gaze trailed over him, her eyebrows raised. "Were you on your way to bed?"

Booth looked down, monetarily flustered by his state of undress. Then again, Rebecca wasn't the only one who had seen him in less. "No, no. Just relaxing. Look, give me a second and I'll put go put a shirt on. Grab a beer or something, ok?"

He headed back towards his room, grabbing the first t-shirt his hand landed on when he opened his drawer. Pulling it on, he was back in the kitchen in seconds, accepting a beer from her.

Settling against the counter, he took in the sight of his partner. Dressed casually in jeans and a snug t-shirt, hair loose, face clean, she looked younger than usual. Young and beautiful and sexy standing in his kitchen in her bare feet, holding his beer, looking right back at him. It was an intimate scene, and he felt a sudden nervous urge to interrupt it somehow.

He sent her a teasing smile and raised his eyebrows. "So, you know, Bones… we're breaking the rules here. Sweets said we had to stay apart until Monday morning, remember?"

The pink tint that suddenly appeared in her cheeks caught him off guard, but not nearly as much as the words that followed. "Technically… this is Monday morning."

It took him a minute to process the fact that she'd come to see him at the very first opportunity, regardless of the fact that it was the middle of the night and she'd have to be up in six hours for work. And when he did process it, it took him another minute to figure out what in the world that meant and how he felt about it.

Actually, he knew how he felt about it. He felt like he wanted to scoop her up in his arms and kiss her senseless. Which was inconvenient, considering he'd spent the whole weekend carefully locking those feelings back away. Only to have her destroy the effort with five simple words.

She was looking at him and he realized he very well might be simply standing and staring at her. Straightening, he sent her a smile. "Ah, a loophole. Very smart, Bones."

"Well, I am very smart." She teased.

"That you are. My genius partner." Nodding towards the couch, he offered, "Wanna sit down?"

It was a casual, normal enough question, and she didn't seem to react to it in any way other than to nod and move towards the couch, but as he followed her he suddenly froze with the realization that he'd just placed them right back at the scene of the crime. The last time they'd been on his couch it had been with her underneath him, responding to his kisses.

Brennan was settling into his couch, making herself comfortable and bringing one of the worn pillows onto her lap. She looked up at him curiously as he stood in the middle of the room, prompting him to take those last few steps to the couch and sit down. Shaking his head, he decided he was obviously the only one still thinking about their kiss. She seemed to be perfectly comfortable and he needed to get on board.

"Was your weekend with Parker enjoyable?" She asked, turning towards him.

He let out an ironic laugh. "Uh… well, yes. For the most part. Up until today around three o'clock it was great."

"What happened at three?"

"Eh, Parks and I were playing football in the park. I threw long, he ran after it, tripped over some roots and fell. Gashed up his leg pretty badly, lots of blood and crying and bandaging." He heaved a sigh and raised his beer to rest against his forehead. "Let's just say Rebecca was less than thrilled. Spent a good forty-five minutes yelling at me when she came to pick him up. In front of Parker."

"Booth…" Brennan leaned forward, her face a mask of indignation. "That's not right. You can't be blamed for something that happened by chance. Rebecca should know that you would never allow harm to come to Parker if you could help it.

He smiled at her, irrationally feeling better. "Thanks, Bones. I know. And Becca knows. She was just having a meltdown. You know how that…" He paused, looking at her, "Ok, so you don't know how that goes, but trust me, it goes. She'll be fine once she's had a chance to cool down."

Brennan relaxed slightly. "Well, it's good that you've chosen to be rational about the situation. Is Parker alright? Was the injury serious?"

"Nah, he's fine. He's one tough kid, let me tell you. Handled it like a champ." He leaned forward and tapped his beer against her knee. "So, I'm guessing you didn't come over here to hear about my fight with Rebecca though. What about you, Bones? Have a good weekend?"

"I had a very productive weekend." She told him. "I worked on our case on Saturday, getting the files in order and finishing up some of the lab work. I worked up the report and I can give that to you in the morning."

"Sorry I wasn't there to help."

Brennan shook her head. "No, Booth, I want you to have your weekends with Parker. I know you hadn't seen him in several weeks because of our enforced vacations."

"It's no problem. Now I get him two weekends in a row. Rebecca agreed to let me see him this weekend too to make up for the weekend I missed." He let out a sigh. "At least… she did before today."

"Will she retract her promise?" Brennan looked offended for him and it warmed his heart.

"Nah, she'll be fine. So, come on, Bones, tell me you took today… er, yesterday off. Tell me you lounged around and read a book, went for a walk, something." He grinned at her, slinging an arm across the back of the couch, but not touching her. "Make me a happy man."

"It's unfortunate that your happiness is contingent upon my ability to waste time," She retorted, smirking at him. "Today I revised three chapters of my upcoming book and wrote two new chapters. In addition to dong some shopping and a bit of cleaning that I had been neglecting."

Booth shook his head at her. "See, I knew you'd work the whole weekend. Alright, we gotta tell Sweets… no more weekends apart. Somebody's has to be around to make you relax, Bones. You should have come to the park with us today. Parker asked about you, by the way."

"He did?" Brennan smiled, setting her beer down on the coffee table, and resting her hand on her leg. "I'm sorry I didn't get to see him."

"Yeah, he said you need to have dinner with us next weekend." He paused, wondering if that was presumptuous. "If you have time. He understands that you're busy."

"No, I'm sure… I'm sure that will be fine." Brennan looked down, playing with her fingers. "I… left my Nerf gun here. I thought maybe Parker would enjoy playing with it this weekend."

Booth cleared his throat, setting his beer down beside hers. "Uh, yeah. He loved it actually. We played a bit on Saturday." A chuckle escaped him at the memory. "He isn't as good as you, but what he lacked in natural talent, he made up for in enthusiasm."

Brennan chuckled too. "I'm glad he enjoyed it. I suppose…" She paused just long enough to have him looking at her, waiting for the next words. "… the game didn't end as favorably for Parker as it did for me."

Booth had no control over the fact that his mouth was gaping open. "Uh… sorry, what?"

"I suppose he didn't beat you." She clarified, her face serene except for the small hint of a smile playing at her lips.

He didn't believe for a second that that's what she had meant. Even she wasn't _that_ oblivious. They both knew she had been referring to the kiss, which meant that he definitely wasn't the only one still thinking about it. But she was the only one taking it a step farther. She was flirting with him. She was sitting on his couch, in the middle of the night, smiling and flirting with him.

He knew he shouldn't participate. He knew it was a dangerous road to go down… but it wasn't like he could just ignore the challenge.

"No… he didn't beat me, Bones. But neither did you, ya know. I think I'd have to call our game a tie. After all, we reached the couch at the exact same time..."

"That's true." She smiled. "I suppose we both won."

Booth cleared this throat, dragging a hand over his hair. "Hmm…" He said eloquently, wondering if she could somehow tell that his heart rate had spiked the minute they'd begun this conversation.

"Is everything alright, Booth? Are you worrying about Parker?"

Her tone was innocent and he sent her a suspicious glance. "I'm fine, Bones." He wanted to ask her if she knew she was flirting, he wanted to ask her why she was flirting. He wanted to bypass saying anything to her and just kiss her again.

Feeling desperate, Booth stood and picked up his beer bottle to take to the trash can, hoping she'd believe a sudden desire for neatness had overwhelmed him. Apparently his plan had worked, because when he turned around she was right behind him, waiting to throw hers away as well.

"Geez, Bones, you startled me."

"I'm sorry." She said amiably. "Perhaps you're simply feeling on edge… because it's late and you must be tired."

"Yeah… yeah, I guess I am kinda tired."

She nodded. "I'll go and let you get some rest."

"No… Bones, it's fine. We could uh… watch something." He cursed himself for not having the willpower to take the out she was offering him. It apparently wasn't that great of an idea for him to be alone with her yet. But he really, really wanted to be alone with her.

"I have the sports channel on now, but I bet there's some old sitcom marathon we could watch." He bumped his fist against her arm. "You know… maybe bone up on some pop culture. Ha, get it? Bone up…"

She chuckled, smiling up at him. "That's very amusing, Booth. But I really should be going. It's late and it probably wasn't practical for me to come see you tonight."

"No, I'm glad you did. I really missed you this weekend." The words were just falling out of his mouth, like he'd been overtaken by some sort of stupidity disease. Still, the words made her smile again and he thought the disease might be worth it if that was one of the symptoms.

"I missed you too. Will you be by in the morning?"

"Yeah – for that interview with the victim's boss. I'll pick you up around 8:45."

"I'll be ready."

He nodded. "Yeah, well then, I guess I'll just see you then.

His hand was on the doorknob, but he didn't open the door just yet. She looked like she was waiting for something and he realized that this was usually when he hugged her or snuck a kiss on the cheek. The thought of doing either right now had his chest tightening.

Offering a mediocre attempt at a smile, he stuck his hand out for her to shake, watching as she studied it in confusion for a long moment before taking his hand in hers and pressing lightly.

Squeezing her fingers back, he quickly released her and opened the door, leaning against it. "Sleep well, Bones."

She nodded slowly and walked out the door, leaving him to close it behind her and lean his back against it, closing his eyes. Something was going to have to change here or he was going to have a heart attack from the deadly combination of nerves and constantly spiking blood pressure.

~B/B~

Monday 8:27 A.M.

Brennan arranged her day in her head as she went through the paperwork on her desk. Her work-frenzied weekend had given her time to finish most of the projects that had built up over the past weeks while she had been focused on therapy and case work. The weekend had been much needed, but her satisfaction over the productivity it produced was tainted by the knowledge that she'd worked constantly with the express purpose of avoiding having time to think about her partner.

Because when she thought about her partner lately, her thoughts weren't about his work ethic or his interrogation skills. Her thoughts were about the breadth of his chest as he leaned over her, the feel of his hands as he held her face, the touch of his lips as he moved them over hers.

Her thoughts were about the look on his face when he'd pulled away from her, the concern in his eyes, the way he'd done his best to be normal the next day even though she was fully aware that he relied on his emotions far too heavily to be able to simply forget the way he'd said he would.

She'd expected him to have problems with compartmentalizing the kiss, but what she hadn't expected was that she'd have difficulty with it. And yet, here she was, eagerly anticipating her partner's arrival so that she could see him again, find a reason to touch him again, maybe even make a comment or a reference that would have his face flushing, his speech stammering, again.

Heaving a sigh, she tried to steel her mind against those kinds of thoughts. She was going to have to regain control over herself if she wanted her relationship with Booth to return to normal. She shouldn't have gone to see him last night and she certainly shouldn't have brought up their kiss, even if she was desperate to know what his reaction would be. And especially since his reaction had only served to further stir up the feelings she was trying to stifle.

"Heya, Bones!"

Brennan looked up to see Booth striding confidently through her office door, his boyish grin firmly in place. Her eyes travelled over him automatically, taking in the way that his white dress shirt hinted at the strong musculature beneath it. His suit jacket emphasized the impressive width of his shoulders and his cocky belt buckle displayed his narrow hips, drawing her gaze down over his thighs, his calves, all hidden by far too much fabric.

"Uh… Bones?"

She looked up and found him staring at her strangely. Normally she would have been at least a little embarrassed at having been caught so blatantly admiring him, but she was too distracted by the faint stubble on his cheeks and the hint of curiosity and desire reflected in his eyes. Realizing her bottom lip was caught between her teeth, she released it and formed a smile as she stepped out from behind her desk and moved towards him.

"Good morning." She said simply.

"Hi." He simply blinked at her for a moment, his easy confidence now overshadowed by the sizzling tension between them. He recovered relatively quickly and said, "I'm a little early, I know. Are you ready though? We could go ahead and go…"

"I can leave now, yes." She moved back towards her desk and picked up her light-weight jacket and her purse. She walked towards him again, smiling to herself when he took the jacket from her to help her put it on. She was more than capable of completing the task herself, but accepting his help meant touching him again and that was something she really, really wanted to do.

As he slid the jacket onto her arms and settled it against her shoulders, she looked back at him over her shoulder.

"That suit looks particularly good on you, Booth. You should wear it more often."

He met her eyes, a small, slightly smug smile on his lips. "So it would seem, Bones. So it would seem." Squeezing her shoulders lightly, he dropped his hands. "I'll make you a deal. I'll wear this suit more often, and you wear that perfume more often. Ok?"

She turned back towards him, lifting her purse onto her shoulder. "I'm not wearing perfume. Though I did experiment with a new soap in the shower this morning. Perhaps that's the scent you're enjoying."

"Hah…" Booth said as she walked out of her office, assuming he would follow behind.

~B/B~

Monday 9:03 A.M.

The first half of their drive was consumed by case work as Booth filled her in on exactly what they were going to talk to the victim's boss about and how he wanted them to play out the interview. When he was done, Brennan brought him up to date on what she'd discovered about the victim over the weekend.

They were well on their way before a comfortable silence fell between them, leaving Brennan's mind free to wander. Immediately, her thoughts focused on her partner once again and she let out a faint sigh of resignation as she began to realize that this problem of obsessing over him wasn't going away. There had still been hope in her mind that maybe she had struggled on the weekend simply because he hadn't been around at all. But he was here, sitting beside her, they had discussed the case and interacted relatively normally, and still she couldn't control her thoughts.

The irrationality of it all was becoming frustrating.

When she let out another sigh, Booth glanced over at her. "You ok, Bones?"

"Fine." She nodded, looking out her window, unreasonably just as irritated at him as she was herself. It was his fault she was feeling this way.

She turned to face him, determined that he be as uncomfortable as she was. "I had lunch with my father this weekend."

He looked at her again. "Hey, that's right. I'd forgotten. How'd it go?"

"Very well. We exchanged anecdotes for over an hour."

He chuckled. "That's great, Bones. I'm glad you had fun."

"He asked about you."

Another glance. "Oh, yeah?"

"Yes. He wanted to know if anything had happened between us yet." Brennan said matter-of-factly, waiting for his reaction.

He controlled his expression fairly well, but she felt the truck jerk slightly to the right, betraying his true reaction. "That's Max for you." He attempted a laugh. "So, uh, what'd you say?"

"I told him that it hadn't. Because that's the truth." She paused, taking in the flush that was creeping up his neck. "Right?"

"Right." He said instantly. "That's right. Why does your dad even ask questions like that? I mean, that's personal stuff."

"I suppose he's hopeful." Brennan shrugged, tapping her fingers idly against the console. "He stated that he would like for us to be intimate with each other."

"Geez, Bones!" Booth spluttered and the truck jerked to the right again. "I don't want your dad thinking about stuff like that. Much less talking to you about it. Whether or not we're… intimate is our business, not his."

She raised her eyebrows, letting the awkward silence descend for a moment before she broke it. "But we're not intimate."

"No!" Booth nearly shouted. Then, more calmly, "No, we're not."

Brennan nodded, looking out her window once again. "That's unfortunate…" She paused just long enough to make him wonder, "… for my father. He's relatively used to getting his own way. Oh, look, Booth. You missed our exit."

~B/B~

Monday 11:46 A.M.

"All I'm saying, Bones, is we can't cross the guy off the list, ok? He was fixing to get hit with a lawsuit for unpaid salary to the tune of four thousand dollars. People kill over less than that all the time." Booth held open the door for her. She moved past him and into the small restaurant they'd decided to stop at for lunch.

"I understand that he is a viable suspect, Booth. I simply don't want you to focus in on him like you did with the victim's girlfriend." Brennan retorted as a silent teenager led them to a booth and handed them their menus.

"Hey, now..." Booth pointed at her. "The girlfriend isn't off the list either. I have a gut feeling about both of them, ok?"

"Maybe you simply ate some contaminated food." Brennan smirked as she opened her menu. "In which case, lunch might not be a good idea for you."

"Ha, very funny, Bones. Adorable." Booth grumbled, opening his own menu. "Just to show you, I'm having the biggest steak they have."

"I don't see what possible relevant point that could make."

Booth was saved from having to reply by the appearance of their petite, flame-haired waitress who couldn't have been more than twenty-five years old. "Hi!" She greeted them enthusiastically, her hand resting on the back of Booth's chair. "My name is Avery and I'm going to be taking care of you today."

Her smile widened as she moved her hand from Booth's chair to his shoulder. "Can I get you something to drink? You look like a guy who could use a tall glass of beer with his lunch."

Booth glanced at Brennan. "Ah, actually, we're on duty. I'm gonna have a coke. Bones… you want water?"

"Yes."

The waitress glanced briefly at Brennan before turning back to Booth. "On duty, hmm? That sounds very official. What are you, like a detective or something?"

"I work for the FBI and Dr. Brennan, my partner, is a scientist." Booth said shortly. "I think we're ready to order actually. Bones, you know what you want?"

"Yes." Brennan replied again, taking in the scene before her. The woman's hand on Booth's shoulder was causing a perplexing reaction in her that was almost physical in nature. An image of standing and removing the woman's hand by force flashed briefly through her mind.

Now the waitress was laughing at something that Booth had just said and Brennan took in the way the girl's hips angled towards Booth, thrusting forward almost imperceptibly in a sign of sexual attraction. That small tell-tale sign, combined with the girl's extremely focused attention and her propensity for showing approval for every statement Booth made, allowed Brennan to conclude that their waitress was interested in pursuing her partner.

The very idea had Brennan's muscles tensing involuntarily.

"Anyway…" Booth was saying. "We're kind of on a schedule here. I'm gonna have the nine ounce steak with the baked potato on the side. Bones?" He looked at Brennan, nodding his head in the direction of the waitress. "Know what you want?"

"I said that I did, Booth." Brennan surprised herself with the sharpness of her tone. "I'll have the Asian salad, no chicken."

"Can you put her chicken on the side? I'll eat it for her." Booth handed his menu to the waitress who gave him another brilliant smile.

"Of course I can. No problem." Avery touched his shoulder again and leaned over conspiratorially. "I'll pull some strings for you."

"Uh, thanks."

As Avery walked away, Booth glanced at Brennan, shaking his head. "You know…"

Brennan cut him off sharply. "Booth, if you insist on eating the meat for my meal and the meat for yours on a regular basis, you'll shorten your lifespan considerably. You just made a very unintelligent decision."

Booth's eyes widened at her angry tone and he sat back in his chair. "Woah, Bones, chill out. It's just some chicken. You're not going to eat it so why shouldn't I?"

"Would you like me to review the health benefits of vegetarianism again for you?"

"Hey, there's no need to threaten a guy. What brought out cranky Bones, huh? If you're hungry, grab one of the crackers from the salad bar and tide yourself over or something."

Brennan knew she was being irrational, and the knowledge made her even more irritated. She wasn't used to reacting emotionally and if this is what it felt like, she was even more convinced that it was a bad idea. It shouldn't matter to her in the slightest if their waitress was sexually interested in Booth. Her partner was free to engage in intercourse with anyone that he wanted.

"I'm not… cranky." Brennan said, her voice petulant. "And I certainly do not need a cracker. I was simply attempting to improve your health, which I have a vested interest in considering you're the only FBI agent I want to work with. But, by all means, make your own decisions."

Booth stared at her. "Bones… what is going on with you? Are you really that upset about me eating some extra chicken? Because it's not a big deal. I don't have to eat the chicken if it bothers you that much."

Brennan felt foolish, knowing he had every right to be confused by her actions. Even she was confused by her actions. Letting out a sigh and endeavoring to be more rational, she shook her head. "Booth, it's fine. I don't mind if you eat the chicken."

"Uh, I think you do, Bones."

"I don't." She insisted. "In fact, I wish you would eat it."

He gave her a strange look. "Because… now you want me to die faster?"

Avery was back with their drinks and she set Booth's down in front of him, leaning over further than necessary and smiling sweetly. "There you are, Mr. FBI. Enjoy."

Booth flicked his eyes to Brennan's and nodded. "Thanks."

"Anytime. Let me know if you need anything else, ok? I'll be keeping my eye on you." Avery winked and tugged lightly on the sleeve of Booth's suit jacket.

Before the waitress could move away, Brennan spoke loudly. "Booth, what our waitress is attempting to convey is that she would like to have intercourse with you. You can tell by the angle of her hips and the fact that her social behavior is designed to convey approval."

Booth gaped at her, the flush that was so frequently occupying his face of late rushing back in. "Bones, for the love of… what is the matter with you?"

Avery flushed as well, a deep red that matched her hair, mumbled something and fled in the other direction, leaving Brennan alone with her horrified partner.

Standing up, he jerked his wallet out and tossed a few bills on the table, took her by the arm and lifted her as well, pulling her close so that he could speak low in her ear. "Bones, turn around and walk out the door."

"Booth!"

"Walk out the door, Bones." He ordered again. "And try not to make a scene, ok? There's no way we're eating here after that."

"But…" She started to protest but caught the look in his eyes and decided to comply, heading for the door. He walked right behind her with his hand on her arm.

When they'd cleared the restaurant door, he let go of her and stalked towards the car, leaving her to trail behind. When he reached the car, he paced beside her door and she came to a stop in front of him, for once understanding why he was angry with her. Her response to the waitress' advances had been entirely irrational and, despite her final assessment being true, it had been inappropriate for her to state it out loud. Booth had instructed her about similar situations more often than she could remember.

"Booth, I apologize. I recognize that I embarrassed you." Brennan crossed her arms in front of her, ready to allow him to lecture her. She would take it willingly.

"Bones…" He shook his head and rubbed his eyes. "Yeah, you embarrassed me. And yourself and that girl. Why did you have to say anything right at that second?"

"It was true." Brennan couldn't help but defend herself at least a little. "She was quite obvious about her interest, Booth.

"So what?" Booth threw out his hands. "What, did you think I was going to ditch you at the restaurant to run off to a hotel with her or something? Give me a little credit, Bones. I've had women hit on me before and somehow I've always managed to handle myself without announcing the situation to the room."

"I apologized, Booth." Brennan tightened her hold on herself. "What else would you like me to say?"

Booth shook his head and rested his hands on his hips, looking at her for a long moment. "Nothing, Bones. Look, just get in the car. There's a McDonald's on the way back. You can find something to eat from there."

"McDonald's?" She asked, surprised that he would even suggest it.

"Yeah, you know… with the drive through." He stalked around to his side of the car and jerked his door open. "That way maybe we can get in and out before you call out any more service employees on their romantic intentions."

~B/B~

Monday 12:58 P.M.

The drive back to the Jeffersonian had been largely silent. Booth had brooded and Brennan had been deep in thought as she tried to figure out how her life had changed completely in a matter of days.

Now as they walked into the lab, side by side, Booth followed her into her office and flopped himself down on the couch, pulling out his phone. She had noticed him making calls throughout the morning, none of which seemed successful as he hung up without a word each time. He lifted the phone to his ear again and she went to her desk, watching him out of the corner of her eye.

Twenty seconds later, he slammed the phone shut again and dropped his head back against her couch, closing his eyes.

"Booth?" She ventured, moving closer to him. He didn't answer her and she frowned, trying again.

"Booth?"

"What, Bones?" He asked, not opening his eyes.

"Is there something wrong?" She sat beside him on the couch, taking in his tense posture.

"You mean besides my partner's knack for creating horribly awkward social scenarios?" He tilted his head and opened his eyes, raising his eyebrows at her.

"Yes."

He slouched further on her couch. "It's just Rebecca. She hasn't been answering my calls all day. Even sent her a text saying it was important, but got nothing. I can't believe she's still bent out of shape about this. I mean, Parker is a kid. He's gonna get scraped up."

"Perhaps she's misplaced her phone. Or is unavailable." Brennan moved slightly closer to him, her earlier frustration forgotten as she took in the worry in his expression. "She will call you back eventually, Booth."

"Yeah." He glanced at her. "I guess. It's just so frustrating. I mean, it's times like this when I realize how little control I actually have over Parker. I don't have any legal rights to him. If she wanted to… she could just disappear. I wouldn't be able to do anything about it."

Brennan rested her hand on his arm. "You're a good father, Booth. Rebecca knows that."

Booth nodded. "I guess." Sending her a small smile, he lifted his arm around her and drew her closer, resting his head on hers. "You know… when you're not snapping at me or making me want to sink into the floor and disappear, you're pretty sweet, Bones. Thank you."

She settled against him, understanding his need for physical contact when he was upset or concerned and proud that he so often sought it from her. His hand rubbed the bare skin of her arm lightly, almost absently, and yet it still sent shivers coursing through her. Anxious for him to stop, she covered his hand with hers, making the situation worse as he misread her intention and twined their fingers. His hands were big and warm and coarse in all the right spots. She could feel the callous on his trigger finger brushing against her knuckles.

"You really do smell good today." He murmured, turning his head so that his nose bumped against her hair. "I think you should keep experimenting with that new soap."

She nodded, wanting to look up at him but not trusting herself to successfully compartmentalize. This was the closest she'd been to him since he'd kissed her and the memory of that night on his couch was stronger than ever. She felt a deep, strong yearning to reach up and kiss him again. It was stronger than any urge she'd felt before and she could feel her heart rate becoming erratic just at the thought of acting on the urge.

"Bones?"

She forced herself to answer him normally. "Yes?"

"You're being quiet. That's not like you. Hey, if you're worried about the restaurant thing, don't be. I'm not mad about it. Give me a couple more hours and I'll even laugh about it with you." He gave her a reassuring squeeze and pressed a light kiss to her hair. "Ok?"

His easy manner, his casual touch, suddenly made her furious with him. She was sitting in his arms, barely able to keep from making her desire known, and yet he had the control to touch her and kiss her. It wasn't right. It wasn't fair. She was supposed to be the controlled one. She wasn't supposed to feel like this.

Pulling herself from his grasp abruptly, she stood and turned on him. "I have work to do, Booth. You shouldn't still be here."

He looked at her in surprise, standing as well. "Bones, what's the matter now? Seriously, your moods today are off the chart. You know that, right?"

"I don't know what chart you're referring to." She stalked over to her desk and sat down, shuffling files around and desperately trying to put her hand on something she could work on. "You should go work. In your own office."

"Bones!" He looked at her in utter confusion. "Geez, Bones, look I hate to ask but… what is wrong with you today? I know there's a reason behind it. One minute you're…" He fumbled, looking awkward for a moment, "And then the next you're crazy. Just talk to me."

Brennan sent him her coldest look, desperate for him to just go. "I'm fine, Booth. There's nothing to talk about. Please, can you just… leave?"

He took a step back, a hurt look crossing his features. "Sure, Bones. Whatever you say." He muttered. Grabbing his phone from the couch, he stormed out of her office, slamming the door behind him.

~B/B~

Monday 6:43 P.M.

Cooking dinner was a methodical process and Brennan relished in the precision of it. Each ingredient in the exact amount, each time allotment designed for a specific purpose. It had order, meaning, and just enough flexibility to allow her to take a breath, but not enough to make her feel like she was gasping for it.

Life should be more like cooking, but it wasn't. Life, apparently, no matter how hard she fought against it, was an ever changing organism that produced feelings and situations she wasn't prepared to deal with.

She should have been able to go back to her controlled attraction to Booth. It had worked for years, it should work again. She should have been able to, if not control her attraction, at least regulate it enough so that it didn't interfere with her life. She should have been able to, like Booth, retain the normalcy of their relationship.

She should have been able to do all of that but she hadn't done any of it. It was absolutely maddening to not be in control of what she was feeling.

She'd been dwelling on the problem for hours now. In her office all afternoon, on the drive home, while cooking, while eating, while cleaning up her kitchen. She'd thought about it from every angle, every perspective, and she'd come up with the only answer that made logical sense to her.

All problems could be solved if one just acted rationally. It was something she'd failed to do all day, but she was going to change that the very next time she saw her partner. Her plan, combined with the therapy of cooking, relieved her mind to the point that when she heard the loud knock at her door she actually smiled in anticipation.

~B/B~

Brennan answered the pounding at her door knowing that it would be Booth standing in the hallway. There he stood, his face set, coiled tension evident in his stance. He brushed by her without a greeting and whirled on her as she closed the door behind him.

"You and me, Bones. Right here, right now. We're going to fix whatever is wrong. No Sweets, no therapy, no anything except us. I don't know what's going on, but today has been this rollercoaster of moods and emotions and… well, geez, Bones, I can't take it anymore. So we're going to do whatever it takes to make sure that we're really ok again. Got that?"

Brennan wrapped her arms around herself, taking a step closer to him. "Whatever it takes?"

"Anything." He said firmly. "Look, Bones… this all boils down to one thing. You know that, right? That kiss on Thursday night. We haven't gotten over it. We can pretend we have… but today. Today wasn't good, Bones. I couldn't tell if you were… flirting with me or trying to torture me or punishing me for something. What is it? Are you doing some sort of experiment on me or something? Studying my reactions? Because I'll just tell you… my reaction to today is insanity. Pure and simple, Bones."

"I'm not experimenting, Booth. And I certainly didn't intend to tax your mental faculties."

"Then what's going on? Explain it to me, because I'm at a total loss here. I don't know what you're thinking."

"Would you like something to drink?" Brennan asked abruptly, stepping towards the kitchen.

"Something to... where are you going?" Booth gaped after his retreating partner. "Bones, we're kind of talking here."

He followed her into the kitchen, hovering while she opened the refrigerator and pulled out a beer. Uncapping it, she took a long swallow and closed the refrigerator door.

"First you interrupt our conversation to offer me a drink and then you don't even get me a one?" Booth raised his eyebrows at her. "That's nice, Bones."

"You didn't say you wanted a drink." She retorted, handing him the bottle she had already sampled. "Here, I don't want anymore."

He took it from her and set it aside, giving her a strange look. "Bones, can I be honest with you? You're freaking me out. I'm sorry, but you really…"

The rest of his sentence was lost as he found himself backed against the counter with Brennan's mouth on his. Her lips were firm, but gentle, not demanding anything as they slowly taunted a kiss from him for one time-stopping moment before she moved away again.

Even after he could no longer feel her, he kept his eyes closed, his hands fisted at his sides in an effort to keep himself from reaching out and drawing her back to him. Slowly, he opened his eye and stared at her, taking all of thirty full seconds to regain function of his vocal chords.

"Bones… why did… I mean, what did… " He cleared his throat and gripped the counter behind him a little tighter. "Geez, Bones. That's probably not a great idea given… well everything."

"I've been analyzing our situation, Booth." Brennan was still standing so very close and he found himself drawn to the movement of her lips as she spoke.

"What?" He asked, realizing that there was suddenly only silence in the room.

"I've been considering the evidence," She stepped even closer and he felt his body attempt to retreat though he was already flush up against the counter.

"Oh?" He managed.

"And I believe our problem is not that we slipped up, as you indicated, but that we only slipped up once."

He gaped at her, hardly believing what he'd just heard her say. "Bones…"

She took the final step that brought her once again inside the circle of his personal space, her hand coming up to rest against his chest. "We're attracted to each other, aren't we?"

"Bones, I don't…"

"Aren't we?"

He cleared his throat again before answering. "That might be a bit of an understatement."

She smiled, sliding her hand up to his shoulder. "We've always been attracted to each other and I believe we've done an excellent job compartmentalizing those feelings throughout our partnership." Reaching up, she brushed her lips over his again. "But I've found that since our… slip-up, I've had very little success with compartmentalization."

"Very little…" Booth swallowed hard. "Haaa…"

"Slip-up again, Booth." She murmured, sliding her other arm up around his neck.

"Hell, Bones," He nearly gasped the words. "I'm not superman here. If this is some kind of test or something you need to back away right now."

Brennan shook her head, her gaze unwavering on his. "Booth…slip-up again."

He let out a groan as he anchored his arms around her waist and yanked her against him, his lips crashing on to hers as he spun them both around and pressed her against the counter. Her mouth parted under his and he took the invitation to explore, relishing in the moan she uttered as his tongue slid over hers.

He sunk his fingers into her hair, twining them with her curls as he tilted her head back and leaned over her so that he could delve deeper. Her hands slid inside his suit jacket and scraped across the muscles of his chest sending ripples of sensation shuddering through him. Needing to touch her, Booth gripped her hips and lifted her onto the counter, his hands trailing down her legs and back up again to her waist

"Booth..." Brennan locked her legs around his waist and her arms around his neck. "Don't stop."

Booth smiled against her lips and gripped her legs again, wanting nothing more than to grant her request. But her words reminded him exactly how much he couldn't do that yet. "Mmm… Bones, have to." He slowed his kisses down to a leisurely pace even as she pressed herself against him, demanding more. "Patience." He murmured, relinquishing her lips and trailing down to her neck, nibbling at the spot just below her ear.

Reaching up, he eased her arms from around his neck so that he could straighten up again, placing kisses on her wrists as he lowered her hands. The moment he released them, her hands were back in his hair, pulling him forward again.

He capitulated momentarily, meeting her seeking lips for a long, searing kiss before once again moving away reluctantly.

"Booth," Brennan said breathlessly, "It seems somewhat counterproductive to our mutual goal for you to continue to pull away."

Booth chuckled, reaching out and twining his fingers through hers, carefully tugging her down from the counter. "If you think I'm pulling away because I want to, then you're not as smart as I thought you were. Bones, you know we need to talk."

"About what?" Brennan frowned as she reached her hands up to straighten her hair and smooth down her shirt.

"Uh, about the fact that making out on your kitchen counter is not a typical pastime for us. About the fact that we've been alternately flirting and fighting all day." Booth raised his eyebrows at the look of frustration on her face. "We can't just decide go at it, Bones. We need to think about this. Talk about it."

"What is there to talk about, Booth? I was under the impression that we had agreed."

"Agreed on what, exactly?" Booth asked warily. "We haven't even talked about anything yet."

"Yes, Booth, I stated that considering we were attracted to each other, and considering compartmentalization of that attraction had become difficult, that we should simply act on the attraction. And you agreed."

"Uh, no… " Booth crossed his arms over his chest. "I don't think I actually said much of anything. I kissed you, because, heck yeah I'm attracted to you, Bones. Are you kidding? You stand in front of me and ask me to kiss you and there's not much else I'm going to be able to do. But that doesn't mean we decided anything about us or what kissing you means."

Brennan frowned. "What decision is it that you would like us to make? We're attracted to each other and ignoring that attraction is obviously affecting our relationship." She shrugged her shoulder easily. "Logically, we should act on the attraction in order to lessen the intensity of its effect until it is no longer a factor. At which point…"

Booth's jaw clenched in anticipation. "At which point what, Bones?"

Brennan had the decency to look somewhat nervous as she answered. "At which point we would both agree to return to our status as just partners and friends."

"Just like that, huh, Bones?" Booth turned away in disgust, raising his hand to the back of his neck and shaking his head. "Just like that. We'll have a few rolls in the hay, right? Satisfy a few biological urges. Scratch each others' itches until we feel better. Is that what you want?"

"Booth, you're angry…"

"Great observation, Dr. Brennan. Very impressive." Booth tossed the words over his shoulder as he moved towards the living room, suddenly needing the space.

Brennan moved to stand in the doorway of the kitchen, watching him as he paced. "You're angry with me. I don't understand why."

"That's bull, Bones. You know exactly why."

"I don't." She insisted, stepping forward. "I thought we both wanted this, Booth. I would apologize for pressuring into the kiss, but I cannot explain your reaction at all without the assumption that you were enjoying yourself."

"I'm not mad about the kiss!" He stopped pacing and turned to her. "Geez, Bones, do you really not get it? Do you really not understand that the idea of having some sort of friends with benefits relationship with you makes me want to hit something?"

"No." She said it so honestly that he had no choice but to believe her.

"Yeah ,well it does. This… whatever this is… it can't work like that. That's not ok." He moved into her space, forcing her gaze to his. "You know I want you, Bones. I think the cat's pretty far out of the bag on that one. But I'm not interested in just sex with you." He shook his head, keeping his eyes on her. "Not a chance."

Brennan stepped back, her eyes snapping. "Is that what you said to Dr. Saroyan, Booth? Or Rebecca? Because as I recall you were relatively clear about it being 'just sex' with them."

Booth's jaw hung slack for a moment, the slap of her accusation leaving him temporarily speechless. "Bones… it's not the same thing."

"On the contrary, Booth, it is precisely the same thing. You were attracted to both women and you conducted a purely physical relationship with each of them. Yet the idea of doing the same with me inspires you to violence." She shook her head, backing away from him. "Thank you for being so clear about your feelings. You're welcome to stay if you'd like, but I have to get up early and I'd like to be sufficiently rested in the morning."

She turned and started to head towards her bedroom and he stalked after her, taking her by the arm and turning her around. Taking in the shock in her eyes, he pressed her against the wall, anchoring her hips there with his hands. "Don't walk away from me. We owe each other more than that. Now, I'm gonna make my point here, and I want you to pay _very_ close attention to every second of it. Pay attention to every single feeling, Bones.

Not waiting for a response, he claimed her mouth, teasing her lips apart and thrusting his tongue deep into her mouth to slide over and around hers. She bucked against him and he held her firm, assaulting her lips with kisses that were deep and passionate and needy until she was clinging to his shoulders for support.

Slowly, gradually, he gentled his kisses as his hands slid beneath the fabric of her shirt and rested against the sensitive skin of her waist, his thumbs tracing soft circles there. He moved his mouth over hers with a brutal tenderness, tasting, testing, caressing her until the hands that were gripping his shoulders went limp and she collapsed against his chest.

Brushing one last kiss against her lips, he lifted his head looked at her.

"Did you feel that, Bones?" He asked, a bit unsteadily.

She looked up at him through hooded eyes, her hands sliding down his chest and over his stomach. "Hhmm…" She practically purred the sound.

"Yeah." He nodded, tucking her hair behind her ear. "That's why it's not the same for us. I've never felt anything like that before and neither have you. You know it's true. We couldn't just be physical, Bones, because there's too much between us. I feel too much for you already." He shook his head, his face serious. "Think about it. We're in therapy because we're already too connected, Bones. If we add… all this to our relationship…" He shook his head again. "No way it stays physical."

"I don't understand."

"Sure you do." Booth offered a small, sad smile. "You understand just fine. But if you need me to say it I will."

She didn't answer but he understood just the same. She needed to hear him say it so that she couldn't keep denying it.

"If we cross that line… if we start a relationship, Bones, I'll fall in love with you. I won't be able to help it."

Her eyes widened at his words and she involuntarily shrank from him, shaking her head. "Booth, don't be melodramatic."

He shook his head. "And there it is. Just the mention of the possibility has you wanting to run."

He stepped back, giving her a long look. "This isn't a good idea, Bones. We want different things. You want a guy who's willing to fit into one of your compartments and I would want to be the guy who makes you forget you ever had compartments to begin with." He shook his head. "I'm sorry, Bones. This isn't how I meant for this to go tonight. I'm just gonna leave."

"Booth…" Brennan moved forward as he headed for the door.

He turned and looked at her, waiting.

She opened her mouth, then shut it, then opened it again. Finally she managed, "Will I see you tomorrow?"

"We're partners, Bones." He told her. "How many times do I have to tell you? Nothing changes that."

~B/B~

**See... not TOO angsty. =) **

**Now, my lovely readers, I'm back in school and it's time for homework and research papers and busy work. It's a depressing thing. Very, very depressing. What would REALLY cheer me up is getting some great feedback from you guys. So what do you say... will you help me out? =)**

**Thanks for reading! Oh... and the consensus on BB vs. Squints was to have a balance of both. So the squints will be reappearing. =)  
**


	16. The Retreating in the Hindsight

**A/N: It's Saturday – which means it's time for an update! =) Was it so very terrible waiting a whole week? It was a long week for me. I'm so used to being able to write more than this! But such is life, and the important thing is the chapter is finished now! =) **

**Thank you so much to all of you who reviewed the last chapter. The response continues to be amazing and I love reading each and every review. You all are what makes writing so fun! So thank you, really. I will respond to you all individually, but I'm taking the advice of several reviewers and putting the emphasis on writing whenever I have time. So please don't think I don't appreciate/read your reviews, because I do! And I'll reply ASAP. =)**

**Booth has some backpedalling to do in this chapter, guys. That Booth. He just loves to jump in with both feet, doesn't he? Gets him in trouble every time. **

**Many thanks to my beta, Hannah Taylor1, for her continued help with this story. She is a constant source of encouragement and advice and guidance. I'm sure all of you are reading her story, "Problem Solving, the Booth and Brennan Way," by now, but if you're not, go do it! This is a story you need to read. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Bones. Still. I won't own the show next chapter either, so just a little heads up there. **

~B/B~

Tuesday 7:13 A.M.

"Sweetie, I love you. You know that." Angela yawned as she settled on to the bench, the cup of coffee Brennan had bought her clutched in her hand. "Obviously you know that or you never would have shown up at my apartment at 6:00 in the morning and dragged me down here. But I gotta tell you, this had better be some really juicy gossip or," Angela paused, yawning again. "Mmph! Or I'm going back to bed."

"Booth kissed me." Brennan responded, crossing her legs and sipping at her own coffee.

"Bren!" Angela spluttered, swallowing her sip of coffee quickly. "That's so great! Was he amazing? Oh, I have been waiting for this for so long! He touched your face while he kissed you, didn't he? He's so the face-touching type. A regular tough guy turned soft for his woman. You have to tell me everything." Angela grinned, shifting on the bench so that she was facing her friend, eager for details.

Brennan shook her head. "I will tell you everything, Angela, but your excitement is misplaced. It was Thursday night that we first kissed and ever since our partnership has been deteriorating. Last night, he became quite upset."

Angela's grin faded and she shook her head. "Oh, no, no, no Sweetie, you guys should be finally going at each other, not fighting. But wait… you said first kissed." The artist moved closer, resting her arm on the back of the bench. "How many times have you kissed him?"

"Several." Brennan admitted. "We agreed to forget the first kiss and assume that it was simply a result of the fact that we're both sexual people with biological urges."

Angela sighed. "Oh, Brennan."

"But I found it quite difficult to compartmentalize. Sweets insisted that we spend the weekend apart as part of our therapy. Booth wasn't even nearby and I found that I thought about him consistently." Brennan lowered her voice, as though confessing. "I dwelled extensively on the kiss."

"Of course you did." Angela comforted. "That's normal. You wouldn't be human if you didn't."

"Yesterday proved even more difficult." Brennan went on without acknowledging Angela's input. "I behaved irrationally on a number of occasions. Logically I could recognize the impracticality of my actions and my feelings, but I couldn't seem to regain control over either."

"What happened last night, Bren? Did you two fight?"

"I don't know." Brennan shrugged. "He came over to discuss my erratic behavior but I didn't allow him to speak much at all. I kissed him again."

Angela's smile returned. "Sweetie! I'm so proud of you!"

"I thought that the most rational course of action was to act on our attraction in order to return our partnership to normal." Brennan traced a finger around the rim of her cup. "At first… at first he responded very well. He was very passionate."

Angela closed her eyes and fanned herself with her napkin. "I bet he was. That man has wanted you for so long. Once he got his hands on you I bet he…" Angela broke off with a throaty sigh before catching a glimpse of her friend's face. "I guess he didn't then."

"He wanted to talk." Brennan shook her head in confusion. "I attempted to explain my logic to him, but he simply grew angry and defensive."

"Of course he did." Angela laid a hand on her friend's arm. "Sweetie, no man wants to talk about logic and biological urges in the context of the woman of his dreams. Let me guess. He told you he didn't want a few weeks of sex with you. He wanted a relationship. Right?"

"I don't know." Brennan sighed. "He said we couldn't remain physical. He said that if we began a sexual relationship, he'd fall in love with me." Looking at her friend with wide eyes, Brennan shook her head. "Ange, Booth can't think he's in love with me. That's not the kind of relationship that I could sustain. It's not the kind I would want to sustain. Love is…"

Angela held up a hand. "Spare me the love lecture, Bren. I've heard it all before. Tell me what happened next? How did you leave it?"

Brennan took a deep breath. "I told him that he was being ridiculous. I believe I called him melodramatic."

"Oh, Bren…"

"He said that a physical relationship was a bad idea because we wanted different thing. And then he left." Brennan turned to her friend. "The look on his face, Ange… "

"Yeah," Angela nodded sadly, squeezing her friend's arm. "I know that look. Sweetie, listen, I love you and I love Booth and because of that, I'm going to be honest with you, ok?"

"I would prefer honesty, Angela. That's why I came to you for suggestions."

"Good." Angela crossed her legs and looked her friend in the eye. "You and Booth… Bren, what you two have is special. It's precious. But like anything that's precious you have to take care of it, protect it. You can't just go running into something, flailing around with no direction."

"I don't understand." Brennan frowned.

"You and Booth kissed, but you weren't expecting it," Angela continued. "And it's been driving you both crazy. You want each other, and you're finally being forced to admit it. That's great, Bren, but you have to be smart about this."

"I am very intelligent, Angela."

"Yeah, but, Sweetie, not when it comes to men. Look, you're both rushing each other. Booth is a commitment kind of guy. He's not gonna handle it well if you just throw yourself at him and demand that he take you now, as hot as that would be. And you're a take-me-now kind of girl. He can't shove demands for commitment in your face."

Angela linked her arm through Brennan's and gave her friend a squeeze. "You're gonna be fine, but you both need to take a couple of steps back from this and make sure that, when you step forwards again, you're on the same page. Because you don't want to blow your chance with him, Bren. The man is crazy about you."

Brennan shook her head. "Your optimism is unfounded, Ange. I can't give Booth the kind of relationship he wants. What I attempted to begin with him last night… that is the extent of what I can offer him."

"Ooo… hold that thought." Angela nodded out across the mall.

"What?" Brennan's brow furrowed. "What are you looking… oh."

"Yeah." Angela smiled at her. "Isn't that just the sweetest, most gorgeous thing you've ever seen?"

~B/B~

Tuesday 7:35 A.M.

Her phone went straight to voicemail for the fourth time in a row. After years of her picking up on the first ring with a consistent, crisp greeting, he found it ironic and more than a little frustrating that she had chosen this morning, of all mornings, to be unavailable.

He needed to talk to her.

Sleep had evaded him for most of the night as he played the events of the evening, the day, the week, over and over in his mind. About thirty minutes after getting back to his apartment, he'd wanted to kick himself for reacting to her the way he had.

The worst thing anyone could do to his partner was to take her off guard or try to rush her into anything. It made her put up her defenses faster than anyone would have thought possible. He knew that better than anyone, but that's exactly what he'd done. Talking about love, making demands, deliberately making her weak in the knees with feelings he knew very well she didn't understand.

He might have realized his mistake earlier if he hadn't been so absolutely wrapped up in the way her lips felt against his, in the way her arms were reaching, pulling, holding him as though she couldn't get him close enough, in the way her legs felt around his waist and the way her hands felt in his hair. She'd lit him on fire with her demands for him to kiss her, for him to give her more, and it had felt so right, so absolutely perfect, that his mind almost hadn't been able to comprehend that it wasn't the beginning of everything he'd ever wanted.

And then he'd gone and dumped it all on her without any warning at all. Of course she had pulled back from him.

He needed to talk to her. To reassure her that it didn't matter what pace they went at or what they called their relationship, as long as she didn't put her walls back up and shut him out. He'd give her the control to decide where they went from here and he'd put his faith in her, in a higher power that wanted him to be happy, to make sure that it all worked out the way it should.

Weaving his way through the crowd on the mall, he scanned the benches, looking for the one person that could make his world right again. He finally spotted her, sitting just how he pictured her, Angela at her side, both sets of eyes trained on him. Approaching slowly, he offered Brennan a small smile. "I thought I might find you here. You turned your phone off."

"I was talking with Angela." She replied, her anxiety evident in her eyes, in her tone.

"So I see." Booth stuffed his hands into his pockets and shrugged. "How about talking with me now, Bones? It's important."

"Booth, I don't think…"

"Oops! Bren, I gotta run." Angela interrupted her friend's hesitated response and stood, gathering her things. "We're done here though, right?"

"Wait, Angela," Brennan stood up too.

"I'll see you at work." Angela gave Brennan a quick squeeze and a smile. "Have a good talk, Sweetie."

Walking towards him, Angela laid a hand on his arm and spoke quietly. "Don't give up on her too easily, G-man. And congrats on the hot and heavy make-out."

"I can't tell you how much I love that you two share everything." He muttered, caught between humiliation and gratitude that Brennan had sought someone out to help her understand what was happening between them.

"Just…be patient." Angela instructed, patting his arm before making a quick exit into the crowd.

When they were alone, Booth looked back at Brennan, warily meeting her eyes. "So, how about it, Bones? Will you take a walk with me?"

~B/B~

Tuesday 7:39 A.M.

The morning air was still cool. The grass to the side of the path they were walking was still wet with dew. A few people hurried about, talking on cell phones or tapping out rapid-fire texts. One jogger with a long ponytail and tight, pink spandex passed them. They were silent as Booth led them down closer to the water and Brennan kept her eyes carefully trained on the horizon, wondering if he would begin the conversation he wanted to have. The conversation she was dreading.

When they reached the rail at the edge of the water, Booth stopped, leaning down and resting his elbows on the cool metal. Standing by his side, hands in her pockets, Brennan waited.

He looked out at the water for several long minutes before meeting her eyes. "Listen, Bones, I owe you an apology. I'm sorry about last night. It didn't have to go that way. You shocked the hell out of me and I just… reacted. The last thing in the world I ever expected you to do was ask me to kiss you again."

"Are you apologizing for kissing me, Booth?" Brennan asked quietly. "Because I can assure you…"

"No." He interrupted her firmly, straightening up so that he could look her in the eye. "No, that's not what I meant. I'm not apologizing for any of the kisses and I'm not apologizing for saying that I'm not interested in just sex with you. I meant all of that. What I am apologizing for is not listening to what you were trying to say, for pushing relationship stuff on you. You kissed me one time and I started talking about love and committed relationships. I know you better than that, Bones. I freaked you out and I'm sorry."

Remembering Angela's words, Brennan attempted to respond in kind. "And I should apologize for assuming that you would be willing to engage in a purely sexual relationship. I, too, know you better than that, Booth. I'm fully aware of your desire for a hopelessly doomed monogamous relationship.

"… Thanks." He frowned, shaking his head. "Look, Bones… I don't think we can keep trying to pretend this stuff isn't happening. We can't just forget that we kissed. That we keep kissing." Lifting his gaze to hers, he paused, swallowing hard. "And I guess I can't speak for you… but I can't just forget how much I really, really like kissing you."

Brennan tilted her head, taking in his nervous stance, the apprehension on his features. Reaching out, she laid a hand on his arm. "I believe I made it fairly clear last night, Booth." She murmured, meeting his eyes without reservation. "I enjoy kissing you very much as well. In fact, I find you very physically stimulating in all respects."

Booth looked down at her hand on his arm, then back up at her, a smile touching the corners of his lips. "Then we need to figure something out here, Bones. We're going to have to have an actual discussion about this… you know that, right? We can't just keep flying by the seat of our pants."

"I don't know what that means."

"We can't just go at this thing and hope it works out." Booth clarified.

"That's what Angela said." Brennan sighed, dropping her hand. "She believes that we are both feeling anxious and need to discuss the situation."

"Smart girl, that Angela." Booth leaned his back against the railing, keeping his eyes on her. "Look, Bones… if you weren't so important to me, this wouldn't be so complicated. That's what I was trying to tell you last night. Cam is a friend. A good friend. I care about her a lot. And Becca... she's the mother of my child and I'll always love her for that. But, you, Bones… you're so much more than any of that. There's not a chance in the world that I would risk what we have just because you're even hotter than the day I met you and all I think about lately is kissing you. If kissing you means risking losing you, it's not worth it."

Reaching out for her, he took her hand, pulling her nearer so that he could see her eyes. "That's why we have to talk about this. Do you understand, Bones?"

Brennan nodded slowly. "Our relationship is important to you and you value it over the satisfaction of your biological urges."

"Something like that, yeah." Booth agreed. "So this is where you tell me, Bones… do we take this any further? Do we see what's happening between us? Or do you want to stop it here and just reset ourselves? Maybe we'd take separate vacations again or something. Come back and put it behind us. Just like last time."

Brennan studied the way his large hand was grasping hers, felt the warmth of his fingers wrapping around her. Seconds passed, and finally she looked back up at him. "I do have vacation time, but it would be inadvisable for me to take two trips so close together. I have important work to do here."

Booth contained his smile and nodded, knowing exactly what she meant. What she didn't know how to say. "Yeah… Cullen would probably kill me for even asking."

"Or perhaps simply fire you." Brennan mused. "Either way, I suppose it's best that we stay here."

Booth gave her hand a gentle tug. "Looks like we'd better figure this thing out then, Bones."

Brennan leaned next to him, against the rail. "How do we do that?"

"Well… I actually do have an idea. Not sure if you're going to like it, though." Brennan blinked up at him and he took a deep breath. "I think we should come clean to Sweets."

"What?" Brennan looked at him in surprise.

"I know, it sounds crazy. The kid is going to gloat – until I threaten him within an inch of his life, of course – and he's going to have a lot of theories and explanations and who knows what else. But Bones, he's gonna figure it out whether or not we tell him. We have a session this afternoon and if we go in there today, or anytime in the near future, he's gonna pick up on something."

"I have to admit, he can occasionally be perceptive."

"Yeah, he's annoying that way." Booth released her hand and rested his arm on the rail behind her. "But he's actually kind of good at his job from time to time. And this is big, Bones. I hate to say it… but we're gonna need some help. We have so many different ideas about this anyway. We could use a little therapy, doncha think?"

"Therapy isn't going to change my mind about committed long-term relationships, Booth." Brennan looked up at him, her eyes sad. "If that's your goal, then…"

"My goal isn't to change anything about you, Bones. I don't know what I want. You don't know what you want. That's why we're figuring this out together. And I think we'd figure it out better if we talked to Sweets." His hand drifted to her arm, pressing her lightly. "But you tell me what you think."

Brennan was silent for several long moments before she nodded. "I believe you're correct. Regardless of whether we tell Sweets, he will pick up on the changes between us. And since therapy is mandated for our partnership, it seems we have little choice."

"Yeah…" Booth nodded, scrubbing his hand over his jaw. "Geez, Bones… that kid is gonna be intolerable. You know that, right?"

"He'll believe his supposition was correct. That we're in love with each other." Brennan let out a sigh. "He'll be very arrogant."

"I'm going to have to take him down so many notches."

"At least that could be amusing for you." Brennan looked up at her partner and he smiled down at her.

"True." Pushing away from the rail, Booth moved to stand in front of her, resting his hands on the rail on either side of her. "Look, Bones, I know this is all happening fast. And now we're stuck in this sort of limbo stage. Like one of your bodies. We haven't identified what we are yet. So maybe it's too much to ask, but can we just be us still? Not all awkward and stuff? Because I've missed you, Bones. All weekend and then yesterday…" He shook his head. "I miss my partner."

"There's no need to miss me, Booth. I'm right here." Brennan drew in a surprisingly steady breath, holding his gaze as she rested her hands on his biceps. "And I don't feel awkward any longer. Perhaps you are correct in your hypothesis that we simply needed to discuss our new situation."

"Did you just say I was right, Dr. Brennan?" Booth teased, raising his eyebrows at her. Smiling, he let his gaze drift to her lips, involuntarily leaning in towards her.

Sliding her hand up to his shoulder, Brennan halted his progress, biting her lip when his gaze flicked back up to hers. His brow furrowed and he leaned back again. "What's wrong, Bones?"

"I don't want you to have unrealistic expectations, Booth. I know that, while you apologized for your reaction last night, you still firmly believe in love and commitment. I don't. What if I…"

Booth laid his fingers against her lips. "We'll deal with that when we have to, Bones. I was wrong last night, ok? We don't have to go from zero to sixty. We can take baby steps, we can take no steps for long periods of time… we can do whatever we want. All we have to worry about is making sure we're on the same page, ok? That's all."

"There were several convoluted metaphors in that statement, Booth."

"Yeah, and you still understood it." He chucked her chin gently. "Don't pretend you didn't." Smiling down at her, Booth asked, "If I tell you something, do you promise not to freak out?"

"I will attempt to remain calm, yes." Brennan said dryly.

"I do love you, Bones. Regardless of where this new thing between us goes… that's not going to change. I'm in this partnership for the long haul. I'm not going to walk away. And I'm going to do my best not to do anything to hurt you or rush you or pressure you. So when you feel nervous, you just remember that, ok?"

Brennan nodded slowly, her gaze locked on his as he leaned in and pressed a soft kiss to her cheek.

"So…" He stood back up, backing away from her completely. "Partners?"

"Yes. Partners."

"Good. Cause I've got case stuff to show you." Reaching for her shoulder, he propelled her forward, draping his arm around her as they walked back up the path. "So, Bones… remember how you were all crazy yesterday? That was all 'cause you think I'm hot, wasn't it?"

Brennan snapped her head up to glare at him and her elbow connected with his ribs, eliciting a grunting chuckle even as it set her free from his grasp.

"Bones!" Booth called after her as he hurried to catch up. "Hey, don't walk away from me!" Slinging his arm around her again, he whispered. "You drive me crazy too, Bones. Every day."

~B/B~

Tuesday 9:36 A.M.

"You interviewed the girlfriend again without me?" Brennan frowned, taking the notes Booth had given her. She lowered herself into the chair in front of his desk. "Why didn't you call me?"

"You threw me out of your office, Bones." Booth reminded her, perching on his desk. "I figured you didn't want to talk. Look at what I wrote down there, though. I asked her if Michael was the father of the baby she was carrying and she said she wasn't pregnant. I showed her the medical records that we got on her. She still tried to deny it before she cracked."

"Why would she do that?" Brennan sifted through the pages in front of her.

"Turn that page over." Booth tapped the last page. "Look at what she said later on."

"Booth, your note taking tactics are very random." Brennan muttered, looking at the page he indicated.

"Just be glad I took notes for you, Bones. I knew you'd want to know what she said word for word. Look there… see?"

"She simply said that she had gone to her boyfriend's job, but he wasn't there. It aroused her suspicions, but she spoke to his boss and discovered that he'd been sent to a company conference." Brennan summarized, confused. "Oh… oh, wait, Booth… yesterday…"

"Right." Booth rapped his knuckles on his desk. "The victim's boss said he'd never met the girlfriend. Didn't even know Michael had a girlfriend. Case closed."

Brennan's eyes widened. "Case closed? I will agree that this is something we need to look into further, but I don't see how it closes our case."

"It's obvious, Bones. The girlfriend gets pregnant by the boss and they kill Michael together."

"Why?" Brennan frowned. "It's relatively simple for a woman to leave her boyfriend. Why would they need to kill him?"

"I don't know yet, but that's how it happened. I'm telling you, Bones. That's what happened."

"You don't know that."

"Not for sure, no. But it makes more sense than anything we've come up with so far. Anyway, I called the boss guy this morning and he's coming in for a second interview. I told him it was routine. He'll be here in a half an hour or so."

"Fine. But I need to check in with the lab before we talk to him. Hodgins was working up a profile on the particulates found on the body. He said he'd have it for me this morning."

"Sure. Use my computer if you want. I'm just gonna step out and make a phone call."

Booth started to move past her and Brennan stood, inadvertently blocking his way. He stopped, pausing for a long moment as his eyes traveled her face, lingering on her lips before returning to her eyes. Smiling, he took her hand and lifted her fingers to the thudding pulse in his neck, watching as her eyes widened.

"You know… maybe we don't have to tell Sweets every little thing. Like how often this happens to me when you're around."

Brennan didn't respond and Booth's smile grew in response to her unusual speechlessness. "Back in a minute, Bones."

~B/B~

Tuesday 10:03 A.M.

Brennan had waited in Booth's office for him to reappear, occupying her time with conversing with Hodgins and studying the pictures on Booth's desk. But when nearly thirty full minutes had passed and their suspect would soon be arriving, she grew impatient, wandering into the halls to see where he had disappeared to.

He wasn't in the break room or in the main area on his floor. The fact that she finally ran across him was by pure chance, as she happened to glance down a corridor that led away from the busier sections of the Hoover building.

"Booth?" Brennan walked towards him, taking in the tension in his body, the anger in his face. He glanced at her, but shook his head, pointing to the phone. She stopped where she was and listened.

"Rebecca, you can't just make decisions like that without talking to me."

Brennan's heart sank as she realized he was still having difficulty over Parker. She looked down, not knowing if she should make some sort of typically comforting gesture or walk away or simply stand where she was.

"He's a kid, Becca. He's gonna get scraped up. I looked at that cut myself and it did not need stitches. Do you not remember what I do? I'm looking at wounds and gashes constantly. I know what I'm talking about."

Sensing that she might be able to help, Brennan took a step forward. "Booth, if the wound was not deep enough for you to see the subcutaneous tissue or wide enough that it could not be easily pinched together, then stitches weren't necessary."

Booth sent her a confused look and motioned for silence, pointing to the phone again.

"He will be able to play baseball." Booth sighed, closing his eyes. "Yes. He will. He's fine. He's a kid. My kid. And I shouldn't have to beg you to be able to talk to him. I always call him on the day after our weekends. Always. You can't just not return my calls. I'm his father!"

Brennan bit her lip, suddenly feeling intrusive as she took in the frustration he was emanating. Turning, she started to walk away, but Booth stopped her, taking her by the arm. Pulling her back, he slid his hand down to hers and laced their fingers.

"Look, Becca, I have to go. I'm at work and there's a suspect waiting on me. But this isn't over. I want to talk to Parker tonight and I want him for this weekend. Answer my call tonight."

Flipping the phone shut, he shoved it in his pocket and let out a gusty sigh. Dropping Brennan's hand, he lifted the heels of his hands to press against his eyes and leaned back against the wall. As she waited, he gathered himself and finally dropped his hands, giving her an apologetic look. "Is our guy here?"

"Most likely." Brennan answered honestly. "But he can wait a few minutes."

"She's driving me crazy, Bones."

"I'm sorry."

"You know why this took me so long? She still wouldn't answer my calls so I called Parker's school, told them it was an emergency and had them patch me through to her. She picked up on the first ring when she thought it was them." He shook his head and turned, hitting his fist against the wall. "Why is she acting like this?"

Brennan knew he wasn't actually asking her and simply waited, allowing him to continue.

"She just does this, you know? She gets things in her head and she won't let them go, for who knows how long. This is just another excuse for her to keep Parker away from me for as long as she wants to." He let out a noise of frustration and hit the wall again.

"Booth," Brennan captured his other hand in hers, keeping him from swinging it again. "You're going to hurt yourself."

"It's not right, Bones."

"It's not." She soothed, rubbing her thumb along his knuckles. "I know, Booth. It's not right. You're a very good father. Parker is lucky that he has you."

"Parker doesn't understand the politics of it all. I don't want him to. But him not understanding means that all he knows is that I didn't call him yesterday even though I always do the day after he goes home."

"He knows you love him. And when you talk to him next you can explain it to him, Booth. One missed phone call is not going to change your relationship with your son."

Somehow, during their conversation, Booth had pulled her close and now he was wrapping his arms around her waist, pulling her to his chest. His face pressed against her neck and her arms circled his shoulders, holding him tightly.

"This isn't how I imagined being a father, Bones." He murmured, his big hands sliding over her back. "I always thought I'd be married to the mother of my children. I'd come home every night and my kids would be glad to see me. I'd ask them about their day. Every day, Bones. Every weekend I'd play in the park with them. Not just every other weekend or whenever someone told me I could."

"I know that scenario is your ideal. But even without it, Booth, you're still the best father I know."

Because he simply couldn't help himself, Booth leaned back and pressed a kiss to her cheek before pulling far enough away to see her face.

"You always know the right thing to say when it's important, Bones." He mused, looking down into her eyes. "How do you do that?"

"I don't know. I simply tell the truth."

"Yeah, you do." He smiled, leaning his forehead against hers. "That's one of my favorite things about you, you know? I always know I can trust what you say." The tip of his nose brushed against hers, nudging gently as his hand moved to stroke her cheek. "That's not a quality most people have."

"You have it, Booth." Despite their proximity, Brennan held his gaze, speaking clearly. "You're invariably honest, regardless of circumstances. It's a very good quality."

"You like it when I'm honest, Bones?" He murmured. "You sure about that?"

"Of course I'm sure."

"Do you like it when I'm this honest?" Closing the distance between their mouths, he kissed her gently, his lips brushing against hers. Both of his hands moved to cradle her face as he pressed kiss after kiss to her mouth in a slow, sensual rhythm. He never sank into her, never parted his lips to accept her more eager advances. When she pressed closer to him and flicked her tongue across his lips to urge him into more, he gave her one last soft kiss before leaning back.

Eyes still closed, he sighed and rested his forehead against hers again. "I'm sorry, Bones. I know we probably shouldn't be doing that right now. I just… I don't know. Needed to, I guess."

"It's alright, Booth. Kissing releases endorphins, resulting in feelings of happiness. It's a very logical way to make yourself feel better."

Booth shook his head. "Nah, Bones. I just wanted to be close to you for a minute. Is that ok?"

Brennan's only response was to tighten her arms around him, pulling him nearer until his face was once again nestled in the nape of her neck. Mimicking his gentle motions that always helped when she was upset or afraid, she rubbed the palm of her hand over the strong muscles of his back.

~B/B~

Tuesday 1:12 P.M.

"You ready for this, Bones?" Booth paused, his hand on the door of Sweets office. "This is your last chance to bail if you want to."

"We've already discussed this." Brennan reminded him. "This is the most rational plan. Besides, Booth, I'm not embarrassed to be aroused by you or to want to act on that arousal."

Booth grinned and lifted an eyebrow at her. "Oh yeah? How aroused are we talking here?"

Rolling her eyes at him, a small smile peeking out, Brennan opened the door to Sweets office and stepped inside, her partner following after her.

Sweets looked up from the paperwork on his lap. "There you are. I was starting to wonder if you two were going to show up."

"Look, Bones, Sweets has just been sitting around waiting for us." Booth mused, taking his seat on the couch, situating himself just a bit closer to his partner than usual. "Isn't that cute?"

"You are nearly fifteen minutes late." Sweets set his papers aside. "What else was I going to do besides sit here and wait? You know… showing up late doesn't mean shorter sessions, by the way."

"We were solving a case." Brennan supplied. "Booth spent a great deal of time chipping the suspect."

"Breaking, Bones. I broke the suspect. And you helped, don't forget."

Brennan nodded. "I did. It was a very interesting turn of events. Booth has been convinced throughout the case that the boss and the pregnant girlfriend were responsible for the death of the victim…"

"And they were."

"Indirectly though." Brennan pointed at her partner. "It was actually the father. He takes religion very seriously and killed his son when he discovered that the girlfriend was pregnant. He thought his son had committed a terrible sin."

"He killed his son because he got a girl pregnant?" Sweets asked, frowning.

"No. The victim's boss got the girlfriend pregnant."

Sweets looked more confused and Booth clarified. "But the father thought it was his son. They fought and the son wound up dead. Luckily for you, Sweets, we're waiting on a warrant to search the dad's house and find the murder weapon. Which means you still get to see us today."

"The father of your victim must have some seriously huge emotional problems." Sweets shook his head. "You should let me do an evaluation on him after he's arrested."

"Yeah, whatever you want, Sweets." Booth leaned back against the couch. "But for now…"

"Right." Sweets sat forward. "Our session. I have a lot planned for us today, so…"

"Nope." Booth shook his head. "Scratch that plan."

"Excuse me?" Sweets looked up in surprise.

Booth looked over at Brennan. "How do you wanna do this, Bones?"

"I suggest you simply explain." Brennan said calmly, crossing her legs and smoothing down her skirt.

"Right." Booth nodded, rubbing his hands together. "Ok… here's the thing, Sweets. Lately, Bones and I… we've sort of been… several times now we've… what I mean is…"

"Over the past six days Booth and I have kissed several times, the last of which was approximately three hours ago." Brennan interjected. "He felt we should tell you."

"Yeah." Booth cleared his throat. "What she said."

Sweets gaped at his patients for a long, silent moment, looking between them as though he were searching for some sign of humor from either. "You kissed?" He finally managed.

"Several times." Brennan said again.

"You kissed. Several times."

"Yeah, Sweets. That's what we're saying." Booth gave Sweets a strange look. "Are you breathing?"

Sweets let out the gust of breath he'd been holding in. "Totally. Guys, this is huge. You're being so calm about this. But you… kissed. Do you get how big of a deal that is?"

Booth leaned forward, drawing Sweets' gaze. "It's not such a big deal that either of us should freak out about it, is it, Sweets?" He asked pointedly.

Sweets glanced towards Brennan. "No. Definitely not. No." He shook his head for emphasis. "But still… wow."

"Booth, perhaps this was a mistake. He doesn't seem to have any insight." Brennan said quietly, leaning towards her partner. "Why is he just staring at us?"

"Because all his middle school dreams have come true, Bones. Give the guy a minute to collect himself."

"You know, just because you lean towards each other doesn't mean other people can't hear you." Sweets snapped. "And I don't think I'm the strange one here. You guys spend four years insisting that nothing could ever happen between you and then you just calmly walk in here and tell me you've started a romantic relationship. That's kind of huge!"

Booth and Brennan glanced at each other. "Actually…" Booth ran a hand down his tie, shifting on the couch. "We haven't started any kind of relationship. We're not dating." He looked at his partner again. "We're still just friends."

Sweets dropped his chin to his chest. "Seriously, guys?"

"That's why we're here." Brennan nodded at Booth, indicating that he should explain.

"Yeah." He nodded back. "We tried just ignoring what was going on, but it didn't work that well and neither of us really want to ignore it. Right, Bones?"

"Correct."

"But we don't want to mess this up." Booth finished. "So we figured we'd come to you and let you do your thing, tell us how to do this."

Sweets looked up again, steepling his hands under his chin. "Ok, let's back up a couple of steps here. Why don't you tell me how this started?"

Booth sat back, shrugging. "Why does it matter? It happened. You don't need all the personal details."

"Who initiated the first kiss?" Sweets pressed.

"What difference does it make?" Booth demanded.

"It was you, Agent Booth. Wasn't it?" Sweets nodded. "It had to be."

"Hey, now just hold on a minute. Why did it have to be me who kissed her first?" Booth was growing agitated and Brennan laid her hand on his arm. "See, Bones… this is what I was afraid of. He's getting all know-it-all. I don't like it."

"Booth, Sweets believes he needs this information for his theories and it was you who wanted his advice." Turning to Sweets she answered him. "Yes, it was Booth that initiated the first kiss, but I initiated the next. There have been several kisses. Do you feel you need to know who initiated each one?"

"No… that's fine." Sweets shook his head. "Dr. Brennan, how did you react to Booth's first kiss?"

"Very well." Brennan looked at her partner. "His technique was excellent and the kiss was extremely enjoyable."

Booth was caught between a grin and a grimace as Sweets cleared his throat. "Uh, no… I meant emotionally. How did you feel about it?"

"I didn't." Brennan said simply. "Booth made it clear that it was simply the result of physical attraction and we agreed to move on from it as thought it hadn't happened."

"Agent Booth dismissed the kiss as just physical?" Sweets asked, surprised.

"Uh, actually, Bones, I just agreed with you. You were talking about biological urges and I went along with it."

"Ok, that makes way more sense. And the kiss that Dr. Brennan initiated?" Sweets turned his attention back to Booth. "How did you react to that, Agent Booth?"

Booth hesitated, looking at his partner. "Not… that well."

"Physically, he responded very well." Brennan clarified. "But if you're asking about his emotional reaction, I would have to agree with Booth's assessment. He proceeded to begin a fight and stated that we could never have a casual relationship because if we added physical intimacy he would fall…"

"Bones!" Booth clamped a hand down her arm, giving her a pointed look. "Sweets gets the point. I overreacted."

"So what's the main issue here?" Sweets asked. "Are you trying to decide whether or not you want a romantic relationship or are you just trying to define what kind of romantic relationship?"

"Well… " Booth looked at Brennan, "It's kind of hard to say. Bones?"

"I don't understand the necessity to impose labels and boundaries on relationships." Brennan shrugged. "My priority is to maintain my partnership with Booth, however, I would also like to find a way to satiate the intensified desire I have been feeling as well."

"Yeah, what Bones just said is important. Our partnership comes first. For both of us. Beyond that, I don't think either of us knows exactly what we want." Booth looked at Sweets. "Don't get a big head or anything, but that's kinda why we're here. We were hoping you'd let us in on what comes next."

Sweets shook his head, looking at both of them for a long moment. "I can't do that."

Booth raised his eyebrows. "Uh… why not?"

"Because there's no clear cut direction that you have to go in now." Sitting on the edge of his chair, Sweets leaned forward. "You two have taken this step and you two have to figure out what it means. For yourselves. Even if I had something to tell you, it wouldn't matter."

"But for once we actually want your opinion, Sweets." Brennan argued.

"Trust me, I get the irony." Sweets muttered. "Look, guys, we can talk about any problems in your relationship. If you want, I can mediate discussions between you. I can give you ways to handle your conflicts. But I can't tell you whether or not to have a relationship or how to define your relationship. You're going to have to do that for yourselves. You want to do that for yourselves."

Booth and Brennan looked at each other and Booth let out a sigh. "Bones, maybe this is all too…"

"Booth believes in commitment and I prefer romance based solely on physical gratification." Brennan cut off her partner, addressing Sweets. "Do you think that there is a way to for us to compromise effectively on that issue?"

"Definitely!" Sweets nodded eagerly. "Of course. You guys can come up with a way to make this work if you want to. You just need to take your time, be open with each other, be open with me. I'm not bailing on you guys. I just can't give you a set of instructions on how to be together."

Silence fell over the room, both patients deep in thought. After giving them several minutes to process, Sweets spoke again.

"I want us to meet again in the morning. Bright and early if you guys can. And as for tonight… your assignment is to have a conversation about this. Be honest with each other. Use the communication technique we practiced if you need to. Come back in the morning and we'll talk about what you talked about. See where you stand."

"I can't." Booth's leg bounced erratically. "I have Parker tonight. I need to go see him."

"That's fine, Booth." Brennan's tone was sincere, understanding. "It's important that you take care of your son."

"Thanks, Bones." Booth looked over at her, holding her gaze for a long moment.

Sweets considered interrupting, insisting that they find a way, but something on Booth's face kept him quiet.

"Bones… are you sure you want to do this? Can we… should we do this?"

Brennan looked down at her hands. "Would you rather not?"

"Would _you _rather not?" Booth asked softly.

Brennan lifted her eyes back to Booth and Sweets watched as communication flowed freely between them. He felt like a voyeur watching something so personal, and when Booth's gaze dropped to Brennan's lips, he nearly stepped in right then and there, fearing that he was about to witness something not meant for his eyes.

But then Booth spoke. "Maybe… I could come over later tonight? When I'm done with Parker."

"I would like that." Brennan nodded, offering a small smile.

"Yeah," Booth smiled back. "Ok."

"Good." Sweets inserted himself back into the conversation, feeling like he was shattering some sort of protective bubble that surrounded his two patients. "Then we'll be done for now. Until tomorrow. Just remember, guys… actually listen to each other. Communicate, don't just talk."

Nodding, Booth stood. "Oh yeah, definitely, Sweets. Thanks for all the help, really." Reaching out, he took Brennan's arm. "You worked wonders."

"Are you being sarcastic?" Brennan asked over her shoulder as Booth led her towards the door.

"Yeah, Bones, I'm being sarcastic. How is telling us to figure it out on our own helpful?"

"I agree. I think perhaps we just overwhelmed him. He's not equipped to deal with more practical problems."

"Ok, seriously, guys… just because you're only talking to each other, doesn't mean other people can't hear you." Sweets' tone radiated exasperation as he let his head drop back against his chair, closing his eyes.

~B/B~

Tuesday 3:21 P.M.

Doctor Sweets prepared to leave his office early, gathering up his belongings, his mind preoccupied with thoughts of his two most complicated patients. The first stage of his therapy plan worked faster than he could have ever imagined. Not even three full weeks of sessions and already they had started to realize what they meant to each other, what they wanted from each other. He'd thought it would take months to create that first crack in their protective armor.

If he was honest with himself, he'd have to admit he was more nervous about the next stage than he was the first. It was one thing to get them to admit the possibility of wanting each other. One heated look, one touch, one kiss would do that. Now he had to guide them through the inevitable pitfalls that awaited them as they tried to figure out what they wanted.

They were already nervous and they didn't even fully realize what lay ahead of them. They'd figure it out soon enough. Maybe as early as tonight.

Flipping the light in his office off, he headed out to finalize his plans for his first real date with Daisy. Maybe tonight would be a good night for everyone.

~B/B~

**So… I kept it under 8,000 words this time! Though with once a week updates, maybe that's not such a good thing anymore. Regardless of the length, I hope you liked this chapter! **

**Thank you to all of you who have wished me good luck with school. I appreciate it! It's going very well so far but I'm even busier than expected. It would be very easy for me to slack on my writing so you'd better be on the safe side and leave me lots of encouragement to keep going. ;-) **

**Next chapter: Lots and lots of B/B interaction. Verbal interaction… physical interaction… you get the picture. *grin***


	17. The Disparity in the Discussion

**A/N: Happy Saturday! =) Thanks to everyone who reviewed the last chapter! I so enjoy hearing from you – makes the long, boring school weeks so much better! Once again, if you haven't gotten a reply from me yet, it's not because I didn't appreciate your review! It's just that time is scarce these days. =)**

**A few of you mentioned that last chapter things seemed a bit too easy for our burgeoning couple. Well, you spoke too soon! ;-) This chapter holds some more angst, but, I hope you all trust me by now to keep a good balance. =) Just be prepared for their first discussion to… hmm, combust? See for yourselves. ;-)**

**Thank you to my wonderful beta, Hannah Taylor1 for her continued services, guidance and encouragement. =) She has a wonderful story, "Problem Solving, The Booth and Brennan Way" that you must read if you haven't already. She puts a lot of effort into posting regularly and would love to hear from you!**

**This chapter is dedicated to etakkate. Happy tenth anniversary! =)**

**Disclaimer: I don't own them!**

~B/B~**  
**

Tuesday 9:37 P.M.

It was ridiculous to attempt to dress for a man who had already seen her in everything from jumpsuits to evening gowns to his own underwear. And yet, Brennan found herself reaching for the soft pink tank top that Angela had once said made her skin glow. The one that even she enjoyed touching because it felt good on her skin. She paired it with thin, black lounge pants that rested low on her hips, displaying an inch or two of her taut stomach. Experimentally, she rested her fingers where Booth's had been when he'd kissed her the night before, and found that it created a pool of sensation low in her stomach.

Glancing in the mirror, she decided to pull her hair up, away from her face. Booth had demonstrated a consistent tendency to run his fingers through her hair when he kissed her, his hands searching and tugging and gripping. It was incredibly arousing. Again and again an image flashed in her mind of him kissing her deeply, his hand wandering up and pulling the hair band out of her hair so that he could run his fingers through the curls that fell down.

Such fantasies were so much more pleasant to dwell on than the idea that soon they would be having a serious conversation about the future of their relationship. It was still a conversation she didn't know how to have. In Sweets' office she had felt like it was possible, but now, alone in her apartment, waiting for the knock that would signal her partner's arrival, she couldn't imagine what she was supposed to say, to feel.

Looking into the mirror once more, she finished tying her hair back. As she stared at her reflection, she considered the possibility that what she wanted out of their relationship would be conveyed better through demonstration rather than conversation.

~B/B~

Tuesday 9:53 P.M.

He knocked on her door, anticipation and nerves flooding him. He couldn't wrap his head around the fact that he was about to have a serious talk with his partner about whether or not they wanted to elevate their relationship. After five years of accepting the fact that she'd always be the one that got away, the one he had every day with, but never a lifetime, he finally had a chance for a do over.

She opened the door, a smile on her full lips, and he had to keep himself from gaping at her. She looked so beautiful. Her hair was tied up, displaying the curve of her neck that he'd become more intimately acquainted with over the past few days. Her shirt displayed her slim, strong shoulders and just enough stomach to have his hands itching to touch.

"Hi, Bones." He offered a smile, holding up the bottle of wine he'd picked up on the way over. "Brought drinks. I figured just 'cause I needed to run out to see Parker after we closed the case doesn't mean we can't have our usual celebration, right?"

"That's a very good wine, Booth." She observed, taking it from him as he moved inside, closing the door behind him. "Make yourself comfortable. I'll get glasses."

He followed her into the kitchen, reaching up as she opened the cabinet door and helping her lift two of the glasses down. She smiled up at him as she uncorked the bottle and poured them each a glass.

"How was Parker?" She asked, handing him the glass, her fingers brushing his.

"Good. Great, actually. That kid always amazes me, Bones. I told him I was sorry I hadn't called him yesterday and he told me not to worry about it. Said he'd figured I was busy at work and that catching bad guys was important, so he wasn't upset." Booth shook his head, clinking his glass against hers. "He's only eight years old but sometimes I think he's got it all figured out, you know?"

"He's a very intelligent boy." Brennan agreed. "I'm glad it worked out for you, Booth. And Rebecca? Was she as reasonable?"

"Heh." Booth shook his head. "Not so good on that front. She's still pretty ticked off." He caught the question in the lift of her eyebrows. "Mad. She's still pretty mad. I get the feeling, though, that it's not really about Parker's leg – which is doing fine, by the way. It's something else. She does this when she's working up to drop some sort of bomb on me."

Brennan's eyes widened and Booth laughed. "Metaphorically, Bones. I mean she has news I'm not going to like. Like, I don't know… maybe she's taking Parker on a vacation for a few weeks or something. She's done that before."

"You should take steps to gain more control over Parker's whereabouts, Booth." Brennan set down her glass and crossed her arms over her chest. "It's not right for Rebecca to be able to hold that kind of power over you."

He smiled at her obvious indignation. "That's just the way things are sometimes, Bones. Life isn't always how it should be." Setting down his glass too, he reached for her hands and tugged her a step closer. "But I didn't come here to talk about Rebecca, you know." He said softly. "I came here to talk about you… us."

He saw the nerves in her eyes the moment they settled there, and very casually dropped her hands, allowing her to take a step back and regain some of her space. Keeping his voice light, he shrugged. "Not that there's any rush. We have all night. Longer if we need it." He smiled at her and picked his glass back up, taking another swallow.

"Actually there is a time constraint." Brennan reminded him. "We're meeting with Sweets in the morning."

Booth shrugged. "Eh, Sweets, Schmeets. I say we keep the kid on our time schedule. I'm gonna go sit down, Bones. Been on my feet all day. You coming?" He backed towards the living room, waggling his eyebrows at her. "Cozy couch… way better than a cold kitchen."

She followed him into the living room, lingering a few steps behind. When he reached the couch, he turned and looked at her. "You know, it's ok, Bones. We don't have to talk now. We can do whatever you want to do. We could turn on some music or play a game. You have games, right? Or we can talk about something else…"

He trailed off as she approached him, coming to stop only when she was a mere six inches away. His breath caught in his lungs when she lifted clear, blue, need-you eyes to his and slid her hands up his arms, over his biceps and then on to his chest.

"Bones…" He covered her hands with his, rubbing his thumbs on her fingers, squeezing lightly. "Something tells me none of my activity suggestions hit home for you."

"You know, Booth… the hormones that produce desire build up in the body. Without release, they tend to cloud the mind, alter behavior, distract one's focus. It's difficult to have a successful conversation when arousal is clouding your judgment."

"Ah," He nodded sagely, battling his wildly thrumming pulse. "Good point, Bones. Very good point. This is a pretty serious talk we're going to be having so…"

"We should be clear-headed." She nodded back. "Rationally speaking, we should first satiate our desire in order to discuss more effectively."

The screen of reason she was hiding behind didn't fool him for a second, but he still couldn't help but move his hands to her waist, sliding them around to her back. She felt wonderful under his hands. Soft and warm and wanting. "You're always telling me to think more rationally, Bones." He murmured, leaning down and trailing his lips along the hollow of her cheek. "I wouldn't want you to think I wasn't listening."

"Hmm…" She replied, smiling victoriously as she sought his lips.

He pulled back just enough to see her eyes. "Just so long as we do have that talk…" He brushed his lips gently over hers. "I guess a little bit of satiation never hurt anyone."

He took her mouth more firmly, capturing her lips and holding them still against his for one long moment as he drew her closer into his arms, gathering her to his chest. The moment he parted his lips, she darted her tongue out, searching for his. And he was lost.

Gripping her tighter, his hands explored her back, her neck, her face as he met her kiss stroke for stroke. Her fingers were quick, nimble, dancing through his hair, down his chest, along the waist of his pants. Feeling a bit weak-kneed, he reached down and slid his arm under her legs, lifting her up into his arms. She gasped, gripping his neck as he lowered her onto the couch behind them, quickly following after her.

He had only just settled beside her when her mouth was on his again, her hand sliding beneath his shirt to press against the overheated skin of his stomach. Her long legs tangled with his, bringing their bodies infinitely closer.

"Booth…" His name as a sigh on her lips made his heart lurch and his mind blank. Shifting his weight, he pressed her down into the couch, kissing her deeply as his hand reached up to her hair, tugging at the hair band and letting her curls spill out into his fingers. Her response pushed him closer to the edge he was already teetering on as she arched against him and nipped at his bottom lip.

She pushed at him and he allowed her to roll him over onto his back, letting out a grateful groan as she moved on top of him. He smiled up at her as she straddled his waist, his hands moving up and down her thighs, gripping her hips.

"Oh, Bones…"

She leaned down and kissed him soundly before sitting back up and reaching for the hem of her shirt. As she started to lift it over her head, he bolted up in a panic, grabbing her wrists and holding them still. "Bones!" He gasped her name. "Oh, baby, you have got to keep your clothes on… got to, got to keep your clothes on." He leaned his forehead against her shoulder and took a deep breath, steadying himself.

"Don't call me baby." She protested breathily, freeing her arms from his grasp and winding them back around his neck. "And considering the physical response your body was having to our kisses, I would think you'd want me to remove my clothing."

"Oh, I really, really want you to, Bones. Trust me." Booth slid his hands up her arms as he placed kisses along her jaw and behind her ear. "But that can't happen if we're going to get any talking done tonight. Because…" He paused, thinking better of giving her a detailed explanation, "well, because it just can't, Bones. You know… I think your logic here is a little off."

She had her hands back under his shirt again as she craned her neck to give him better access. "How so?"

"I'm not feeling clear-headed at all. This satiation of arousal thing you were advertising… not working for me at the moment."

"Of course it isn't." She explained in the tone that meant he shouldn't require an explanation. "We haven't satiated anything, Booth. We've only heightened our arousal."

"Tell me about it." He drew back from her just enough to shift them on the couch so that he was more comfortable, all the while keeping her in his lap. With one arm around her waist and the other cupping her cheek, he looked into her desire laden eyes. "Wow." He murmured. "I don't want this to sound cliché or anything, but kissing you is one of the most incredible things that's ever happened to me."

"I agree." She moved in, kissing him again, almost feverishly.

He let the kiss spin out for several long moments before he gently ended it, soothing the withdrawal with soft kisses to her shoulder. "Bones… slow down. If you value my sanity at all, slow down. Please? I want to talk about this with you."

"I'm not ready to talk." She trailed kisses along his jaw, nipping at his earlobe.

"Ok!" He sucked in a sharp breath as her tongue flicked over his skin. "That's fine. You don't have to be ready. We just can't do any more of this until you are ready."

She leaned back and her cool blue eyes iced over as she pushed away from him and stood up. "Are you attempting to manipulate me, Booth?"

"What?" He gaped at her. "No! Geez, Bones, no, of course not."

"Why can't you simply act on what comes naturally to you? We were doing very well until you once again allowed your antiquated notions about sex to stand in the way."

He stood too, reminding himself to stay calm and reason with her.

"Bones, think about this. Think about it logically. One unplanned kiss has thrown us completely off course with each other, right? Think about what would happen to our partnership if we made love the same way. Unplanned, unexpected… it'd mess us up, Bones. This is not about a difference of opinion about sex. It's about us. It's worth taking it slow if it means making it better."

Brennan shook her head and took a step back. "I don't accept your logic."

"Why not? Talk to me about it. Why is it so important that we go into this at break-neck speed? Why can't we wait a little while longer after waiting for five years?"

"I don't want to talk, Booth."

Booth took a minute to look at his partner, realizing that it was fear, not anger in her body language, in her eyes. And he suddenly understood.

"Ah, Bones," He stopped moving towards her, willing to give her all the space she wanted. "You want it to be about sex because it's too big if it's about us. If we take this slow you have to deal with the fact that this is you and me that we're talking about. We're changing. We've already changed."

"Booth…"

"It's ok to be scared, baby. I'm scared too."

"Do _not_ call me baby, Booth." Brennan's tone was dangerously low. "And I'm not afraid. I'm perfectly aware that we're changing. I simply differ on how I want us to change, that's all. This morning you indicated that you understood my views on the subject and accepted them for what they were. Now you feel they are a by-product of fear? That's insulting, Booth."

He cursed himself silent for pushing at her again, for blurting out his realizations and reactions without stopping to think how she would take them. Pointing out her insecurities and fears wasn't going to go over any better than telling her he was falling for her… that he would fall for her. Whichever it was.

"I'm sorry." He held up his hands in a gesture of surrender. "I mean it, Bones. I'm sorry. Look, I do accept your ideas about this. I accept that you have them and I accept that they're valid views because they're yours. But I don't understand them. That's all I'm asking for, Bones. Help me understand. Let's just… talk." He offered her an apologetic half-smile, praying her harsh posture would soften in response.

She shook her head. "I'm sorry, Booth. In Sweets' office I believed I was ready to discuss this with you, but I find I'm very opposed to discussion of any kind at the moment."

Holding in his sigh, he nodded resignedly. Silence fell between them as he stared at her carpet for a long moment. Finally, looking up at her, he tried one more approach.

"So, no talking, Bones. Right?" He took a small step towards her. "But what about kissing? Is that still ok?" She looked at him warily and he held out his hands again, still surrendering to her. "I just want to kiss you. Can you blame me?"

She didn't protest and he moved closer to her, reaching his hands out for her waist and drawing her to him. Her pliability gave him hope that maybe, just maybe, if he could take her mind elsewhere for just a little while, he could slowly ease her into talking to him without her even realizing where the conversation was heading.

"Aren't you concerned that I will remove my clothing, Booth?" She retorted, though she still didn't complain about his proximity.

He couldn't help but be a little amused at her snarkiness, despite the fact that it was rooted in anger with him. "Bones, I am constantly preoccupied with the removal of your clothing. I'll manage. What do you say? Can I kiss you?"

She held firm for a long moment before she finally nodded. Unbelievably grateful, he lowered his mouth to hers, cupping the back of her head as he did so and pouring all the tenderness he felt for her into the kiss, trying to keep the tinge of frustration he also felt from coloring it. He continued giving her soft kisses as he spoke.

"Remember when Zack went to Iraq?"

Her eyes opened and she gave him a strange look even as he pressed his lips to the corner of her mouth and ran his hand up her back.

"That's not something I'm likely to forget."

"You were so upset." He mused, pausing his ministrations for a moment. "You wouldn't go out in the field with me for the longest time." He smiled and tucked her hair behind her ear, letting his finger linger on the sensitive shell. "Then you finally did again and we had coffee down by the water. Remember?"

"Yes."

"You kissed my hand." He smiled, reaching his hand to hers and linking their fingers, bringing her hand to his lips. "I played it off pretty well. Or, at least, I think I did. But you sent shocks through me that day, Bones. Just a little touch of your lips."

"I didn't kiss your hand, Booth. You placed it on my coffee cup, which was a perfectly logical place for my lips to be. It was purely chance that we made contact."

He chuckled, resting his arms easily around her waist, marveling at how natural it felt. "Doesn't matter." He decided. "It was still a kiss, accidental or not. It's staying on my list."

"Your list?" Brennan's eyebrows shot up. "You've made a list of times that we've kissed?"

"Well… I had." Booth casually released her waist, taking her hand instead. "Before there were so many. I think I may have lost count now."

"Do you intend to tell me about this list?"

He shrugged. "Do you want me to?"

"I think you'd better."

"Ok." He smiled, taking a step back, her hand still in his. "But can we sit while I tell you? It has been a long day, after all."

She followed him as he led her to the couch and sat beside him, her legs tucked up under her, her hands folded in her lap. Casually, he let his arm rest on the back of the couch, taking one tendril of her hair in his fingers and twirling it lightly.

"So what do you want to know, Bones?"

"I'd like to know why you felt the need to keep a record of our kisses."

He chuckled, shaking his head. "It's not like I wrote them down in a diary, Bones. I just mean… I remember them. Each of them. Do you?"

"Of course." She held up one finger. "Outside the bar, after you fired me."

"Right. You were so sexy that night, Bones. When Caroline told me I could hire you back again the next day I was so glad that I could have kissed her if I hadn't thought she'd kill me for it."

Brennan raised her eyebrows. "You demonstrated your excitement in a very strange manner. You were very irritating that day, Booth."

"Yeah, well… anyway." He ran his hand lightly over her arm, slipping his fingers between her clasped hands and stroking a finger over her palm. "After everything went down like it did, I figured there wouldn't exactly be any more kissing, but you, Dr. Brennan, surprised me."

She narrowed her eyes, but he noted the way she'd loosened her grasp, giving him more room to trace patterns on her skin. "Booth, I kissed you that Christmas in order to make a nice holiday for my family. That's all."

"Ah, but we're not even there yet, Bones." He tapped her hand lightly. "When Russ came and turned himself in and I let him go see Amy and her little girls before processing him… you kissed my cheek."

Brennan flushed a delicate shade of pink. "I was making a very culturally acceptable demonstration of gratitude."

Booth couldn't help but laugh. "Bones… how can you go from using all your womanly wiles to seduce me to getting all flustered over kissing me on the cheek, hmm?"

She glared at him, jerking her hand out from under his. "If you think you've seen all of my womanly wiles, Booth, you are sadly mistaken."

Even her condescending tone couldn't overshadow the innate sensuality of her statement. Booth took her hand back, threading his fingers through hers. "I would never underestimate your wiles, Bones." He murmured, "Not when just a kiss on the cheek from you makes me consider letting a fugitive go free completely."

"Booth!" Brennan looked at him disapprovingly. "That would have been very irresponsible of you."

"But romantic, right?" He grinned, nudging her shoulder.

She still frowned at him. "If that's your notion of romance, Booth, perhaps you can understand better why I don't feel the need to engage in such behavior."

"Fine, Bones, you win." He teased her. "Romance is for the dogs."

"On the contrary, dogs mate for solely practical purposes."

He laughed and brought the hand that was twirling her hair to cup the back of her head and pulled her in for a short but sweet kiss. When he released her, she settled against his side and he tightened his arm around her shoulders.

"Tell me the next kiss on your list, Booth."

"Hmm, well that'd be the hand kiss." He rested their linked hands on her leg, toying with her fingers. "That's when I knew you just couldn't keep your lips off me – ACK!" He grabbed her offending elbow and pinned it to her side, glaring into her impish face. "Ow, Bones, geez."

She wrestled her arm away from him and smirked. "I believe I already told you that so-called kiss was your fault, Booth."

"So you decided to take out a couple of my ribs as punishment?" He kept up his front of mild irritation, though behind the persona he was silently thinking that he'd let her elbow him in the ribs all day long if she'd just stay curled up in his arms, talking with him so naturally.

She grinned up at him. "Are you hurt, Agent Booth? Perhaps you are more delicate than I surmised."

"Delicate?" He demanded. "Delicate? Oh, ho now you've done it, Bones." Gripping her arms he wrestled her backwards on the couch, grinning foolishly as she alternately grunted and laughed.

"Booth! Stop it, Booth!" She landed more than one solid hit on his chest as he climbed on top of her, pinning her down.

"No way." He shook his head as he trapped her arms. "Can't have you thinking I'm delicate, now can I? I'm your big, strong protector, Bones. Gotta make sure you know that good and well, right?" He lifted her arms above her head and gripped both of her wrists in his hand. His free hand went to her wriggling hips to hold her still.

Smiling down at her, he raised his eyebrows, challenging her. "Now what, Bones? Am I delicate now?"

He had no concept of how it happened, but she suddenly had her hands free and her legs locked around him in a vise-like grip. Flipping them onto their sides, she ran her hands down his chest and over his shoulders. "No, delicate is not an accurate description of you at all, Booth." She murmured. "In fact, I very much enjoy how strong you are, and not just for the purposes of physical protection."

He smirked and moved his hand to her back, pressing her closer so that he could kiss her. "Glad to hear it, Bones. You're not so delicate yourself, you know? I mean… you are. In all the good ways. And you aren't. In all the good ways for that too."

She chuckled. "I believe I know what you mean."

He laughed too. "Good." Kissing her once more, he gently eased himself into a more upright position, smiling in happy surprise as she waited for him to settle and then rested her head on his lap, looking up at him.

"Booth?"

"Yeah, Bones?"

"Will you tell me how you felt about the mistletoe kiss? That's the last one on your list, isn't it?"

"Yeah. Yeah it is." He absently fiddled with her hair as they talked. "Boy you really sprang one on me that time, Bones. I had all of sixty seconds to prepare to kiss the woman that, if I was honest, I had to admit I was ridiculously attracted to. Oh, and it had to be with an audience. And she was only doing it to get a place for her family to have Christmas. That was something, Bones."

"You seemed upset about it."

"No, no." He assured her quickly. "Flustered, yes. Nervous, heck, yes. But not upset, no."

"May I tell you something?"

"Please."

"I believe… had I protested, that Caroline would have offered a different solution to my problem. I could have repaid her in a more professional way." She looked up at him with her big, blue eyes, waiting for his reaction.

He smiled down at her. "Yeah, probably." He agreed, brushing a strand of hair off of her forehead. "But that wouldn't have been as much fun, now would it?"

"I have another confession."

"So, serious, Bones." He chided gently. "Don't say it like I might get mad at you or something."

"I may have oversimplified my reaction when I stated that kissing you was like kissing my brother." She sat up, shrugging her slim shoulders. "I allowed myself to be swayed by what I hoped to be true rather than what was true."

He smiled at her again, chuckling softly at the serious look on her face. "Yeah, well, I kinda figured you didn't slip Russ the tongue when you kissed him hello at family reunions."

"No, that would be very inappropriate. And quite odd." She wrinkled her nose in a way he found adorable and he planted a kiss on the tip of it.

The laugh escaped her, taking him by surprise. "What's so funny?"

She shook her head, a smile wide on her lips. "People actually do kiss each other on the nose."

He joined in her laughter. "No one's ever kissed your nose before, Bones?"

"Not that I recall, no. It's pleasant enough, though, I suppose."

"Sure it is. You should try it sometime." He leaned his face closer to hers, tilting it as though offering her his nose. "Want to?"

She rolled her eyes at him. "Booth."

"What? Come on… you know you want to try it. You're a scientist! Experiment. Kiss my nose, Bones."

Shaking her head, laughing, she leaned in and pecked the tip of his nose. "There." She pushed at his chest. "Satisfied?"

"I don't know. I think I need a report of your reactions first." He teased, relishing the spark in her eyes.

"Well…I like kissing your lips better." She taunted him back, leaning forward, her eyes drifting to his lips.

"Mmm, then by all means…" He moved in to meet her lips, losing himself in the increasingly familiar cadence of her mouth. When he pulled away, his eyes stayed closed for a long moment before he looked at her. Overwhelmed by sudden emotion, he skipped ahead in his master plan, unable to help the words that tumbled out of his mouth.

"Bones, I know the past few days have been sort of a blur with all the changing and the confusion of everything, but… have you thought that maybe… "He reached for her hand, linking their fingers again. "Maybe what's coming out between us now has always been there and we just weren't ready for it yet, or we were just working up to it? All the little kisses, the small moments, maybe it was all about leading us here, to each other?"

As soon as he'd spoken he knew he'd made a mistake by the way her body tensed against his and as much as he hoped she'd surprise him, she didn't. Suddenly she was on the opposite end of the couch, the relaxed posture, the easy smile, the sparkling eyes all a thing of the past as she slid into a distinctly squinty demeanor.

"Booth, you're speaking of our relationship as though it were some sort of mystical entity with thoughts and goals and ideas of its own. That's a ludicrous concept."

"Bones…" He sat forward, attempting to backtrack once again.

"We are simply two people who are at a similar place in our lives, who have developed good rapport, a good friendship, and who are attracted to each other." She continued, shaking her head and holding up her hand to stop him as he moved nearer. "You need to accept that, Booth. Or this endeavor to decipher our relationship is pointless."

"Bones, it isn't pointless. Don't say that. Look, all I meant is that maybe we've always had the potential to be more… than what we've always been." Frustrated at the constant swing of their conversation, he sighed and rubbed his forehead. "Why does that upset you so much? I can't understand that."

"Because your expectations are still too high, Booth." Brennan stood up off the couch and began a steadily paced journey around her coffee table. "I believe our concepts of the word 'more' are different. You attribute a structured, committed, romantic relationship to the word, while I view it in a simpler, truer form. When I suggest that we find a way to be more, Booth, I'm simply referring to adding a physical relationship to the relationship we already have."

She stopped her pacing and threw her hands out in frustration. "Simplicity is not a concept you've mastered, is it? You insist upon incorporating convoluted concepts rooted in false perceptions, such as fate or love or belonging, into a situation which at its very core is natural and instinctual."

Thoroughly frustrated and more than a little exasperated with always having to be the only one to backtrack and alter and cushion his words, Booth stood, facing down his seething partner, his hands on his hips.

"Yes, Bones, yes. Sure. This is my problem. I'm the one who's being unreasonable here. Please, forgive me for thinking that love or affection had anything to do with what's happening between us. I just need to remember that we're a couple of people controlled by animalistic urges and we should probably go ahead and devour each other without concerning ourselves with feelings or emotions of any kind. Did I get it right that time, Bones? Is that the sweet nothing that's going to make your heart flutter?"

Brennan glared at him coldly. "If my heart were to flutter, it would be a medical condition or emergency, not a symptom of anything you say."

Booth threw his hands up in the air. "Well, good, Bones, at least you grasped my point. That's great, I really feel like we're communicating now."

"Obviously you're being sarcastic."

"Obviously." Booth dragged a hand over his hair, looking at her impassive face. "Why can't we talk about this without fighting?" He demanded.

"Because you refuse to let go of your perceptions."

"And what about your perceptions, Bones? Why can't you be open at all? I came looking for you this morning, I told you I was out of line last night, that we don't have to jump into love and commitment right away. I'm trying to meet you half-way here and you're not working with me."

"Booth?" Brennan took a step towards him, her expression calm and utterly serious.

"What, Bones?"

"Could you have an extended relationship with me with no expectation of love or commitment at any point?"

He stared at her helplessly, willing himself to give her the answer she was looking for.

"Could you engage in intercourse with me without some sort of promise on my part to be devoted solely to our relationship?"

"Bones…"

"Could you be content in a relationship that was without typical romantic gestures and sentimental exchanges of affection?"

Closing his eyes, Booth dropped his head, his hands still resting on his hips. A long moment of silence passed before she spoke again.

"I believe your silence is a sufficient answer." Her voice was soft, controlled, determined. "And I, in turn, cannot accept a relationship without the conditions I mentioned. Booth, I had hoped that we could find a compromise, but I believe Sweets was wrong in his assessment tonight. I don't see a way to reconcile our viewpoints."

Biting the inside of his cheek, he forced himself to look up at her. "Well, who am I to argue with your data, Bones?" His words were sharp, laced with the pain that her cool dismissal brought.

"Booth…"

"Nah, Bones. Just… let's not talk about it anymore. Talking about it was obviously a bad idea to begin with. I should have known that."

"Booth, I'm …"

"Temperance, if you apologize to me right now, it's not going to go well." Shaking his head, he retreated behind the couch. "This was a mistake. You're right. We're just having the same conversation over and over and never getting anywhere."

"Yes." She said simply, twisting her hands in front of her. "So it appears."

"Yeah, well, we're busy people. We don't have that kind of time to waste." He could hear the bitterness in his own voice, but was helpless against it. "So, I'm gonna go. It's good timing, really. Just finished up a case. Plenty of breathing room until the next one. We'll just… " He shook his head. "I don't know."

He settled his hand on her door. "I'll call Sweets and cancel for tomorrow."

"Booth…"

"See ya around, Bones."

~B/B~

Thursday 9:56 P.M.

Brennan's hand was perfectly steady as she fit the remaining pieces of the skull back into place, turning the fragments of bone with precision and deliberation, her entire being focused on that one action. She was recreating a whole person from mere fragments and it was an utterly unique feeling of order and control. A state of mind, really.

The only state of mind that had kept her functioning over the past two days. She'd spent most of the last forty-eight hours in the exact spot she was currently occupying. When challenged, she merely stated that she had a great deal of work that she had put off in order to go on vacation, increase her therapy sessions and work on an FBI case. In reality, there was no particular emergency to the limbo remains she was flying through so quickly. The only emergency was that she had no idea what to do with herself.

"Sweetie?" Angela's soft voice shattered the peaceful silence of the room and Brennan felt herself faced with the irrational desire to find a way to quite literally disappear. She wasn't in the mood to interact with her well-meaning but all too often demanding and pushy friend.

"I am working on a set of Civil War remains, Angela. I can approximate that it will require at least twenty more minutes, however, I don't intend to leave at that time considering there are numerous sets of remains similar to this which are waiting for processing and identification." It was a preemptive speech, considering Angela had only spoken one non-accusatory word, but Brennan, for once, knew what someone was going to say before they said it.

"Bren, come on. You've been working non-stop for the past two days. More non-stop than usual. Take a break. Come get some coffee with me and then you can come back here if you want." Angela moved towards the table, concern etched into her pretty features.

"I don't want coffee, Angela."

"Well, I want coffee. And I want my best friend to drink it with me." Angela laid a hand on Brennan's arm. "I want you to tell me what happened Tuesday night that's had you hiding in here for two days. Tell me why Booth hasn't been around at all. Tell me why Sweets nearly got into it with Cam today when she said she wasn't going to make you call him. Bren, you gotta talk about it sometime. Whatever happened with you and Booth can be fixed."

Brennan glanced up from her work. "Nothing between Booth and I needs to be fixed. We're friends, as we've always been. We simply don't have a case right now so there hasn't been a pressing need to interact."

Angela rolled her eyes. "Sweetie, I'm not as smart as you, but I'm not dumb either. I can't remember the last time you and Booth went two days without seeing each other."

"Then your memory is flawed." Brennan said sharply. "We recently separated for a week while on individual vacations."

"Fine. Besides that, then. Can you think of a time you were apart for longer than a day anytime in the last year?"

"The last two days seem like an appropriate example."

Angela crossed her arms over her chest. "You're being difficult on purpose, Brennan, and it's not an attractive quality. I want to help. I want to listen. It's almost ten o'clock at night. Come away from this. I know you love your work, Sweetie, but this is death and sadness here. You've got enough of that written all over your face to last you a long time."

"Angela…" Brennan looked at her friend, wishing that she knew how to convey with more than just her words how desperately she wanted to be left alone.

Angela let out a sigh. "Sweetie, you're kinda scaring me here, but I'll leave you alone if that's what you really, really want."

"It's what I want, Ange."

"Fine. But just one more day, Brennan." Angela shook her head as she moved back towards the door. "You're like this at closing time tomorrow and you won't be able to shake me. I'll be stuck to you like glue. Because I love you, Sweetie."

~B/B~

Friday 11:14 A.M.

"Hodgins!" Angela motioned the entomologist over to her secluded corner of the lab.

"Angie…" He approached her warily, head tilted. "Are we back to secret rendezvous and I missed the memo?"

"If I was sending you that memo, there's no way you'd miss it." Angela muttered, gesturing for him to come closer still. "I'm worried about Brennan."

Hodgins sighed. "Angie, leave it alone."

"No! You need to go talk to Booth. Find out what happened."

Hodgins let out a laugh. "We are so not together anymore which means I don't even have to pretend to consider that possibility. There's no way I'm showing up in Booth's office and asking him to tell me about what happened between him and Dr. B. The man has a gun, Angela."

"Well, who would you rather have get shot, Jack? You or me? Because one of us is talking to him."

Hodgins patted Angela on the shoulder. "I'm gonna have to go with you on this one, Ange. Booth wouldn't shoot a chick. Good luck."

Hodgins started to walk away, but Angela stopped him, grabbing his arm. "Hodgins, I'm serious. I'm worried about Brennan. She's completely shut herself down."

"When you two broke up, I thought I wouldn't have to come poking into corners to separate you anymore." Cam's droll voice cut off Hodgins response as she approached, hands clasped in front of her.

"This is work related, Cam." Angela crossed her arms over her chest. "It's about Brennan."

"What about her?"

"She and Booth had some sort of fight. I mean, have you noticed a certain un-Boothy quality to the lab lately? Someone has to go talk to Booth because Bren isn't saying anything."

Cam shook her head, holding up a hand in a defensive gesture. "Angela, that is not a good idea. I told Sweets and I'll tell you. Unless it's a professional issue, we're not getting involved. End of story."

"But…"

"Angie, Cam is right. We can't fix whatever it is." Hodgins stepped closer to Angela, squeezing her arm. "They'll work it out. They always do."

"They would work it out faster if we gave them a nudge in the right direction, though." Angela wheedled. "All we have to do is…"

"I need to be seeing a lot more squints than this!" Booth's booming voice interrupted Angela's plan and she grinned.

"Never mind!" She clapped her hands together. "He's here."

"Yeah…" Cam sighed. "And he's not happy. What did I do to deserve this?" She pointed at both Angela and Hodgins. "Both of you had better do everything within your power to keep whatever situation we've got here calm or I'm yanking both of your parking spots."

"Yeah, yeah… " Angela nodded absently. "Is Bren in her office?"

~B/B~

11:16 A.M.

Booth scouted out the lab, spotting Cam, Angela and Hodgins crowded off to the side. Heading straight for them, he darted his eyes around, not sure whether he was dreading or wishing for a glimpse of his partner. Because she was still his partner, even if he had purposely not spoken to her in days. Even if he was about to see if he could sneak out to the field with an intern rather than her.

"Cam, who's the intern on rotation today?" He demanded, striding up and coming to a halt in front of three pairs of curious eyes.

Cam lifted her eyebrows, her hands resting on her hips. "Booth…"

"The intern, Cam. Who am I dealing with here?"

"It's Wendall, but…"

"Great." Booth hit his hand against his fist, nodding. "Round him up. I need him on a case."

"Booth, don't you dare take Wendall out on a case instead of Brennan." Angela stepped forward, shrugging Hodgins' hand off of her arm. "I don't care what is going on, you can't do that to her. It would crush her and I'm worried about her enough as it is."

Booth gave Angela a pointed glare. "Angela, butt out. Bones isn't going to be crushed about anything, ok? I happen to know she'd prefer to stay in the lab on this one."

"Is it a case that's going to hit too close to home for her, Seeley?" Cam gave Booth a sympathetic look, "Because I know you want to shield her, but it won't be possible to keep her completely off the case and she'll only be more difficult if she thinks you're coddling her."

"It's not about that, Cam." Angela cut off Booth's response. "They had a fight and Booth is hiding. They're both hiding. And they're both obviously miserable so why don't you just go talk to her? She misses you, Booth."

"Angela," Booth crossed his arms, his stance widening just a bit. "I'm going to tell you again… butt out. Bones and I are fine. We're just taking some breathing room, which is none of your business. It's between us. Now," He looked at Cam, challenging her with his brown gaze, "Can I have Wendall or is the FBI on our own with this one?"

Cam gave a small sigh and nodded. "Of course. I'll let Wendall know you're here."

"Thank you." Booth said sincerely. "Thanks, Cam."

"Sure, big guy." Cam sent him a smile and patted his arm. "Just don't let things get out of hand, ok?"

As Cam walked off, Booth shook his head, muttering, "Where was that advice a week ago?"

Booth's inner musing were disrupted as Angela stepped forward, pushing her small hand against his chest. "What're you doing, Booth?" She demanded, her face stony. "This is my best friend you're messing with here. I told her to trust you and now look at you. Hiding from her. What happened, Booth?"

"Angela…" Hodgins touched the inflamed artist's shoulder. "Come on, now."

"Don't you dare tell me to mind my own business. This is my business." Angela glared at Hodgins before turning back to Booth. "Brennan is a wreck. She's working constantly. Every time the phone rings she gets this horribly hopeful look on her face, and I know she's hoping it's you. But it hasn't been. For two days. Now someone had better tell me what's wrong with you two."

"I thought you guys shared everything." Booth crossed his arms over his chest. "Maybe, for once, she doesn't want you to know."

Angela took another step forward, her hands on her slim hips, her arm jerking away from Hodgins' latest attempt to calm her. "The only things Brennan doesn't tell me about are the things she' can't process enough to talk about. And the only things that she can't process enough to talk about are the things that eat her up inside for years and help close her off from the rest of us. So whatever it is, Seeley Booth, whatever it is, you fix it. Or you're going to be dealing with me."

Booth raised his eyebrows. "I think I'll survive, Ange."

Hodgins shook his head. "Dude, do not underestimate her."

"Agent Booth?" Wendall's voice cut the tension between the small group as they turned to face him. "Dr. Saroyan said you wanted my help."

"Yeah." Booth dragged a hand over his hair. "How do you feel about field work, Wendall?"

A smile lit up the blonde boy's baby face. "Uh, great. Yeah, sure."

"Good. Cause you and I are going to look at a crime scene."

"Really?" Wendall grinned wider. "Cool. Thanks, man."

"Yeah. Look are you ready to go?" Booth glanced the boy over. "Don't you have… gear or something?"

"Oh, yeah, I guess I'll have to ask Dr. Brennan about that. She's coming too, right?"

"No… not on this one."

"Really?" Wendall frowned, glancing at Angela and Hodgins. "I thought that…"

"Do you want to do the field work or not, Wendall?" Booth snapped. "I don't have all day to stand around here and talk. You're either coming or you aren't."

"Yeah, yeah. Sure." Wendall nodded eagerly. "Just let me grab a kit."

"Fine. I'll be waiting in the car. Make it quick." Booth turned and nearly ran straight into his partner. "Bones!" He took an involuntary step back. "… Hi."

Looking at her gave him a sweet sort of pang in his chest. The past two days without her had been a series of long, miserable hours filled with alternately cursing himself and cursing her. He hadn't handled himself well and she'd handled herself worse. They'd rushed and stumbled and fought and stonewalled their way through something neither of them had been ready for and now they were here. Staring at each other with a tension between them that was absolutely foreign to their relationship.

Maybe it would be easier if she wasn't so absolutely beautiful in her classic black skirt and white blouse. Maybe it'd be easier if he'd been able to forget how easy it had been to curl up on her couch with her, now natural it had felt to pepper their conversation with kisses and flirtations and touches. Maybe it would be easier if he didn't want to take her in his arms right now and promise to let their relationship happen however she wanted it to, as long as it happened.

And it was for all of those reasons that he couldn't have her out in the field with him. Not yet.

"Booth." Brennan's greeting lacked a certain enthusiasm he'd come to expect from her. "Do we have a case?"

Booth drew in a deep breath, running his hand across the stubble on his cheek. "Actually, Bones… I guess we should talk about that."

~B/B~

**For those of you who are worried about this new development and/or Booth's sneakiness here, don't be too concerned! Think of it this way… Booth is so crazy about her by this point that he can barely stand to be around her without showing it. And of course he can't have that, now can he? ;-)**

**Suffice to say, Brennan isn't going to let herself be shut out of any field work. **

**This is going to be a hard school week for me – I would love it if I could come home to lots of notes from you all. Be sure to leave a comment! =)**

**~Elle**


	18. The Attack in the Dark

**A/N: Happy Saturday, readers. =) It's been quite a week for me and I was a little concerned I wouldn't get this done, but here it is! *whew* **

**I really appreciate all the feedback I'm still getting. It honestly is what keeps me writing because it would be very easy to neglect this story and use the time to do other things. I'm very heavily involved in a research project this year and it's demanding a lot of my time. So thank you, and please continue your support. It means so much!**

**Clarification: Some of you have been confused as to when updates are coming, so I'll restate. I'm updating ever Saturday evening. I'd love to be able to post more often, but I really can't at this point. **

**Thank you to the wonderful Hannah Taylor who keeps me writing and cheerful even after very long days. She is largely responsible for the continued updates. So go read her story, "Problem Solving, The Booth and Brennan Way." You're missing out if you haven't read it. =)**

**Disclaimer: I don't own them. **

~B/B~

Friday 11:21 A.M.

"_Actually, Bones… I guess we should talk about that." _

Brennan stood awkwardly before her partner, her arms neatly, tensely, resting by her sides. She quickly took in the tell-tale signs of exhaustion on his face and deduced that he had been sleeping about as much as she had. The knowledge gave her a feeling that she couldn't quantify.

"Alright." She said briskly, her chin jutting out ever so slightly. "Would you prefer to discuss it here or in my office?"

Booth let out a sigh and gestured somewhat aimlessly. "I guess it's not so much of a discussion. I just thought it'd be better if I take Wendall with me on this one." He stepped towards her, lowering his voice. "We said we'd take some space, Bones. Please, don't cause a scene."

Affronted, offended and more than angry, Brennan took a step back, fire snapping in her eyes. "You thought you would take Wendall out into the field instead of your partner?" She asked coldly.

"Bones, don't…"

"I'm still speaking, Booth." Brennan rested her hands on her hips, stepping closer to the FBI agent. "You thought that you would take Wendall." She stated again. "You do realize that if Sweets were here he would have a great deal to say about your word choice, don't you, Agent Booth? You decided. You're going to take. Exactly who do you do you believe yourself to be? Do you consider yourself the dominant member of this partnership?"

"Bones, geez, lower your voice." Booth pleaded.

"I will not." Brennan snapped, her voice growing louder rather than softer. "You must be very arrogant to come into my lab, commandeer my people, and attempt to shut me out of my job simply because your feelings have been hurt. We are partners, Booth. You stated that that was important to you. Can I deduce from your inappropriate behavior that you no longer feel that way?"

"Of course not, Bones." Booth stepped forward, reaching for her arm. "Can't we talk about this in your office. I'll explain."

Brennan evaded his touch. "No, we certainly can't. I'm not interested in your explanations, Agent Booth. I'm interested in doing my job."

"Bones…"

Looking away from Booth, Brennan addressed Wendall, ignoring his wide eyes and terrified expression. "Your services won't be needed in the field. I'll be accompanying Agent Booth, as usual."

"Sure, Dr. Brennan. Absolutely." Wendall nodded eagerly. "I didn't mean, I mean, I didn't know that…"

"Please get back to work now." Brennan cut off the intern's ramblings. "I'd like your notes on the remains I assigned to you this morning by two o'clock this afternoon."

"Yes, Dr. Brennan."

As Wendall scurried away, Brennan turned her icy gaze back to Booth. "I'll be ready in approximately five minutes. You can wait for me here."

Turning away from her speechless partner, Brennan stalked towards her office, keeping her eyes firmly focused on her door. Unexplainably, unidentifiable feelings threatened to overwhelm her and the moisture she felt accumulating behind her eyes elevated her anger even more.

Amongst it all, she focused in on one all too familiar sensation. Rejection from someone she loved.

~B/B~

Friday 11:27 A.M.

Booth stood in stunned silence as Brennan walked away from him, the magnified sound of her heels clicking against the tile resonating loudly in his ears. Not once, amongst the numerous times he had imagined seeing her again, had their reunion gone so horribly wrong. He wanted to be angry with her. Furious at her for humiliating them both in front of far too many of their colleagues. And yet, he had the horribly, sneaking suspicion that he was the one who had messed up. He was the one who, in his utter confusion and self-pity, had failed to allow himself to think about how she would react to him shutting her out.

Angela moved to stand by his side, her brown eyes holding none of their usual warm glow.

"You know, Booth, I want to feel sorry for you, but you deserved that. Not that I have to tell you. I think you already know."

"Angela," Booth turned to woman who was wise beyond her years in matters of the heart. "Tell me how to fix this. You know I didn't mean to hurt her."

Angela crossed her arms, narrowing her eyes at him. "I don't know what went on between you two the other night, Booth. But I know whatever it is, it's tearing her up inside. And what you just did right now, right here in front of everyone, makes about a hundred times worse. You know how Brennan deals with rejection. You should know her better than that."

"I'm not rejecting her!" Booth hissed under his breath. "If anything, she rejected me. All I wanted was a little space to learn how to talk to her again. That's all."

Angela reached out and patted Booth's arm. "Well, I'd guess you have still have plenty of time to re-educate yourself. I doubt Brennan will say anything that doesn't have to do with dead people to you for a very long time." Raising her eyebrows, she started to step away from him. "Don't say I didn't warn you, G-man. I did my best. Now you'd better do yours."

~B/B~

Friday 11:42 A.M.

Booth glanced over at his partner as she made her third phone call since they had begun their drive to the crime scene. The first had been to Cam, asking her to impart some apparently vital piece of information to Wendall. The second had been to Russ, checking in on him and his family. If it wasn't so out of character for her to call anyone just to chat, he'd have found it sweet. As it was, he saw it for exactly what it was: a poorly disguised method of avoiding even the chance of talking to him.

"Hi, dad. It's Temperance. How are you?"

And now apparently she was calling her father. Luckily for him, she couldn't possibly have that many more people she would feel comfortable enough with to randomly contact.

"No, I'm fine, Dad. I was simply calling to converse with you." She paused. "Of course I'm not ill. I'm working."

He glanced over at her as she was silent for a long moment.

"Sure, Dad. No, I understand. Yes, having lunch again would be enjoyable. I love you too, Dad. Bye."

She hung up the phone and he breathed a sigh of relief when she allowed it to rest on her lap, instead of immediately dialing again.

"Bones, we need to talk." Booth said quickly. "Please."

Brennan turned to glance at him, her eyes empty, her expression blank. "Your compulsion for conversation is becoming quite irritating, Agent Booth. Perhaps you should learn the value of silence."

"Bones, come on now." He sent her a pleading look. "Don't do this. And quit calling me Agent Booth. It's freaking me out. Can I just explain? I didn't mean to upset you, I really didn't."

He hadn't thought it possible, but Brennan's jaw tightened even further. "I'm not upset, Agent Booth," She emphasized his name to a ridiculous degree, "There's nothing for me to be upset about. You acted on a misguided notion that you had any control over how I do my job, and I corrected you. There isn't anything more to it."

"I wasn't rejecting you, Bones."

Brennan shrugged. "I didn't say that you were."

"Yeah, but I know that's what it felt like. I'm sorry. That's not how I meant it."

She gave him no response and silence filled the car for several nerve-racking minutes as Brennan stared out her window. More than once, Booth started to speak again, but each time the words wouldn't come. He was afraid to say the wrong thing that would get them fighting again. Afraid to say the right thing that might get them talking easily once more, allowing them to pretend that there was nothing wrong between them. That there was nothing between them at all.

Booth jerked the car into park as he pulled up the crowded, noisy crime scene. Reaching for his belt buckle, he unclipped it and then let out a deep sigh, pausing with it still in his hand. He had to say something before they went out there.

"Bones…"

"No. Just let me do my job." Brennan ordered, already half-way out of the car.

~B/B~

Friday 12:04 P.M.

"Officer Clark, I'm Special Agent Seeley Booth and this is my partner…"

"Dr. Temperance Brennan, forensic anthropologist." Brennan interrupted, stepping ever so slightly in front of him. "I'm here to examine the remains. Please direct me to them."

"Bones, hold on a second."

"I'm here to see the remains, Agent Booth. I don't have any interest in the other proceedings here."

"Uh… right over there." Officer Clark pointed towards the direction of the FBI forensic team that was already scouring the parking garage. "Couple of women found the body about an hour ago. They said…"

"It doesn't make any difference to me who found the body." Brennan interrupted once again, already beginning to walk away. "Those less significant details can be directed to Agent Booth."

Booth clamped his mouth shut as he watched his partner walk away, willing himself to let her behavior go, at least for the time being. He tried to remember that she was lashing out at him because he'd hurt her and that was the only way she knew how to react.

"She's a spit-fire, eh?" Officer Clark gave Booth a sympathetic, knowing look. "Tell ya what, them women folks can be hard to work with, can't they?"

"Shut up." Booth snapped, taking out his pent up frustration on this new stranger. "Just tell me about the body and don't talk about, don't even think about, my partner again. Got it?"

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever you say, big shot. I take it back anyway. She must be cranky from dealing with you all day."

"The case." Booth said darkly.

Grunting a little, the officer began filling Booth in on the details as Booth scribbled them down on scraps of paper, asking questions all the while and momentarily forgetting the miserable position he was in.

Until she called for him.

"Agent Booth, I would like to show you something."

Cringing at the practiced formality of her tone, Booth made his way over to her, looking for the first time at the remains. "Wow, whoever this is they're in bad shape, Bones."

"Yes, I've ascertained that. The victim is a female and my preliminary exam suggests that she was beaten rather severely before she died. She wasn't even twenty years old yet. Most likely closer to sixteen or seventeen."

"How do people do this to each other?" Booth shook his head, acknowledging the familiar clench of his stomach muscles that happened whenever he was faced with a particularly gruesome death. The fact that it was a young, helpless girl made it that much worse.

"What I wanted to show you is this." Brennan continued, ignoring his question. "Her left shoe is missing, but there are marks on her phalanges and her calcaneus that match similar marks on her right foot. Without proper examination, I can only hypothesize, but I believe that the marks were deepened by activity caused by a struggle."

"So she fought off her attacker while wearing both shoes?"

"It seems so, yes. Which means that the left shoe should be in the area or it could be with the killer."

"Good. Ok. I'll have forensics start scouring for it." Booth started to back away, but Brennan wasn't finished.

"She's been dead for at least three weeks, Booth." Brennan continued, forgetting in her focus on her work, to call address him more formally. It was a small relief, but a relief nonetheless.

"Ok…"

"But she's been moved. Look at the indicators on her right…"

"Bones, just the conclusions, not the process." Booth reminded her.

"The rate of decay is accelerated on her right side. It's almost as though the left side and the right side of the body could belong to two different victims. The right side has been immersed in water. As though she were laying partially in a puddle."

"A puddle." Booth looked around. "This is a parking garage, Bones."

"I'm aware of that." Brennan stood, pointing towards a hallway that led out of the parking garage. "But that tunnel leads to the underground structure of the building. There are pipes down there. Pipes that could feasibly leak."

"Bones, you're brilliant." He grinned at her, slipping automatically into their normal interactions.

For a moment he almost thought that she would smile back, but then the faint flicker of warmth was gone from her eyes once again as she regarded him stonily.

"I'm going to look around there." She stated, turning on her heel and heading for the dark, damp opening.

"Bones, hang on." He called after her, motioning for the forensic team to begin transportation of the body. "You don't know what's down there. Would you just wait a second?"

She didn't turn around and he started after her with a huff. "Bones! I'm starting to get tired of you ignoring me, you know. You can't just go wandering off into dark places alone."

Brennan didn't turn to look at him as he fell into place beside her. "Actually, I prefer to be alone, Agent Booth."

"Enough, Bones."

"No!" She whirled on him. "No, it's not enough. I will tell you when it's enough."

Booth was stunned into immobility for a moment as she charged ahead of him, her fists clenched at her sides. As she disappeared into the murky corridor, he let out a frustrated sigh and followed after her once again. She might not want him with her, but why should he break his pattern and suddenly start giving her what she wanted?

~B/B~

Friday 12:14 P.M.

Brennan marched down into the underground structure of the building, her quick mind cataloguing the grey stone and concrete, the faint chill, the slight dampness. The ground was hard with large stone pillars rising out of it that supported the building's structure and formed a maze of sorts that offered her many directions to explore. She paused, attempting to determine which area would be best to begin searching in.

Booth came up behind her. "Bones, don't run off like that. Look at this place. You shouldn't be down here by yourself."

"I can take care of myself, Agent Booth." She retorted coldly.

She was so focused on giving him the cold shoulder that it took her by surprise when he grabbed her shoulders and spun her around to face him.

"Stop it, Bones. If you want to yell at me, go ahead. If you want to hit me, I won't stop you. But this avoiding me thing, calling me Agent Booth, it's gotta stop."

She jerked out of his grasp, glaring at him. "I would think you'd be grateful that I'm avoiding the sort of familiarities that imply a partnership, Agent Booth. Considering we certainly don't seem to have one any longer."

Turning on her heel, she decided to head to the left and began picking her way over the rough floor, her eyes darting over the pipes in a far corner and some sort of large generator to her right. She hadn't taken more than three steps when he spun her around again, shaking her lightly.

"Don't say that, Bones. You will always be my partner. The only partner I'd ever consider working with."

"Let go of me." Brennan ordered dangerously, pulling sharply away when he failed to immediately comply. "Why should I trust you? Why should I believe that our partnership is important to you when at the first sign of conflict you stop contacting me and attempt to shut me out of a case that rightly belongs to me? You shouldn't have done that."

She started to walk away from him again, only to find him suddenly in front of her, crowding in on her space.

"Fine, Bones, I shouldn't have done that." His usually genial tone was laced with frustration and his warm brown eyes were intense on her face. "But what else was I going to do, huh? Have you even stopped to think about what this past week has been doing to me? Have you? Or have you been so caught up in how completely terrified you are that you haven't had the time to think about anything else?"

"I'm not talking about this with you." Brennan attempted to side step him, but he blocked her.

"Like hell, Bones. I've tried it every which way and none of it works. Pressuring you to face reality, telling you we don't have to talk till you're ready, trying to ease you into to talking to me… none of it did the trick. So screw that, Bones. We're doing this one my way. We're gonna have it out right here and now and I don't really care if you want to talk or not."

"You may talk all you'd like, Agent Booth," Brennan pushed past him again, "But I'm going to work."

"Fine! I'll talk, you listen. That's a start." Booth kept up with her easily as she meandered the more open area of the structure. "Look, this morning was a mistake. I get that, Bones. I made you feel like I was abandoning you and I hate that. I will _never_ abandon you. But, Bones… you gotta understand where I'm coming from here."

Brennan willed herself not to listen to him as he followed her deeper into the darkness. It was so much easier to stay angry with him than try to understand what he was feeling. She was having more than enough difficulty comprehending what _she_ was feeling as it was.

"I don't know which end is up anymore, Bones. I don't know what you want from me. I only know what you don't want from me. Somehow, after everything that happened this week, I'm just supposed to go back to being your partner when…" He stepped in front of her again, forcing her to look at him, "when , honestly, I don't know how to do that right now. I don't know how to look at you, talk to you, without remembering what it's like to kiss you."

Brennan looked into his eyes for a long moment before moving away this time. "I don't see your point, Booth."

"No, you don't want to see my point." Booth followed after her insistently. "You don't want to admit that this is hard. That you're just as confused as I am. All I wanted was a little space, Bones. I thought there would be more time between cases. You know, sometimes it's weeks, but no… this time when I could have used just a little time, it takes all of two days. I panicked, that's all."

Brennan tore her eyes away from the stone wall she was examining. "And if it had been weeks between cases would you have allowed that time to pass without contacting me?"

Booth let out a sigh. "I don't know. You didn't exactly call me either, Bones."

"I was not the one who, once again, left in the middle of a discussion, Agent Booth."

"Middle of a discussion?" Booth's loud voice echoed around the underground space. "There was no discussion, Bones. There was you telling me that we could never work anything out between us. What did you want me to do? Ask you to repeat yourself to make sure that I understood good and well exactly how much you didn't want me?"

"I didn't say that."

"Yeah, well, you might as well have." Booth muttered, crossing his arms over his chest.

Anger flared deep within Brennan as she felt the injustice of the entire situation and she whirled on him. "Perhaps it is you that doesn't want me, Agent Booth. I think it's quite evident that you want your fantasy more than you want what I was willing to offer you. I resent the fact that you are attempting to place the blame for our situation on me, when it is you that insist upon making this complicated."

Booth threw his hands up and a look of utter exasperation settled on his handsome features. "Why are you so afraid of complicated, Bones? Does what's happening between us now seem simple to you? Is this your idea of un-complicating the situation? Cause it sure isn't mine. In fact, this is more my idea of the seventh level of hell."

Brennan felt as though Booth had slapped her across the face. His words stung her deep inside with every bit of intensity that his palm against her cheek would have created. Drawing herself up, she straightened her spine and jutted out her chin, narrowing her eyes on his face. "If you're so miserable, Agent Booth, then perhaps it is best if you're assigned another forensic anthropologist to work with. I'll see to it immediately."

Turning away from him, Brennan began walking blindly toward what she hoped was the exit of the structure. There was an ache deep in her chest, an empty feeling in the pit of her stomach. Tears once again stung at the corners of her eyes but she refused to lift her hands to wipe them as they fell onto her cheeks. He would not know the effect that he had on her.

"Bones, wait. Where are you going?" Booth's voice seemed distant behind her as she strode forward, not caring where she was headed as long as he was far behind her.

She turned a corner, desperate to be out of his sight, and felt a sharp pain sear the back of her head seconds before she pitched forward, watching in horror as the ground below her faded to total darkness.

~B/B~

Friday 12:26 P.M.

Brennan felt and heard Booth before she could open her eyes to see him. She could feel the desperate press of his lips against her forehead and her cheeks. She could hear his whispered pleadings in her ear.

"Bones, baby, open your eyes. Baby, look at me. Please wake up, please be ok. I've got you. Everything's alright, just open your eyes. I need you to open your eyes. Please, Bones."

The sensation of his light touches, his featherweight kisses, helped to counteract the throbbing she felt in the back of her head and she tried to reach for him to pull him closer, but her arm wouldn't move when she told it to. Frustrated, she tried to respond to him, but her lips wouldn't form the words floating through her hazy head.

He was still talking to her, murmuring words in her ear as he cradled her in his lap, holding her against his broad chest. "I'm so sorry, Bones. This is my fault. If you hadn't been so angry with me, you never would have… " He trailed off, lifting a hand to cup her cheek as he pressed kisses to her forehead and her eyes. "It's just that I'm pretty sure I'm crazy about you, Bones. Completely out of my mind crazy about you and that's why I've been acting like such an idiot. I love you so much and I need you to come back to me now, baby. Please, open your eyes."

His lips pressed innocently against hers and her eyes fluttered this time when she tried to open them. "Booth…" His name came out on a half groan as she shifted and sent pain shooting through her head.

"Bones, thank God." He pulled back, his keen eyes searching her face as he brushed her hair back. "You have the most beautiful eyes, Bones. I've never been so glad to see a pair of eyes in my life. How much does it hurt, baby?"

"Don't call…" She gave up the effort of speaking as her head thudded once again. "Booth…"

"Right here. I'm here. Just relax. Everything is fine. You don't need to do anything except just lay here for as long as you need."

She looked up at him, seeing the concern etched in his features. Slowly, her eyes drifted around her, noting that they were still in the underground structure, sitting on the floor with Booth's back resting against one of the stone pillars and his arms wrapped securely around her, warding off the cold.

Focusing her thoughts, she tried to remember what had happened to her.

"He was behind me."

"I know. I caught a glimpse of him. He ran out the other exit, but I called the guys upstairs. They're pursuing. He won't get away."

"I think… possible depressed skull fracture." She murmured, allowing her aching head to rest against his shoulder. "Blunt force trauma…"

"Sshh, Bones." He soothed, stroking her cheek. "There's a medical team on its way and they'll worry about diagnosing you. Ok? The officer upstairs will let us know when they get here. Right now he's keeping everyone away though so you can have some space. Try to relax, baby." He stilled for a moment. "Sorry. Try to relax, Bones."

"Ask me a question, Booth."

"What?"

"A question. To determine whether or not my body is going into shock. If I can't correctly answer questions I should know the answer to, then its cause for concern."

"Geez, Bones." He tightened his hold on her, worried brown eyes meeting her clouded blue gaze. "Ok. Uh, what's my middle name?"

"Joseph." She murmured. "Seeley Joseph Booth."

"That's my girl." He brushed her hair back gently. "Good job, Bones."

"You should ask another."

"What's your favorite meat?"

Brennan frowned vaguely. "I don't eat meat."

"Right." Booth smiled down at her. "You don't eat meat and you're always on me to give it up."

"But you never will."

"Ah, no worries about shock then." He trailed a finger along her jaw. "How do you feel, Bones? Talk to me. Your eyes are drooping. Stay with me, ok?"

"Tired…"

"I know." He patted her cheek lightly. "I know. But you gotta keep your eyes open , baby. Look at me. Can you focus on what I'm saying?"

"Yes."

"Good, ok. You know what I've always wanted to tell you, Bones? I've always wanted to tell you how strong I think you are. This seems like a good time, right? You're the strongest person I know, Bones. Way stronger than me."

"Hmm."

"I don't mean you're going to be knocking down the doors from now on or anything, so don't get too excited. It's a different kind of strength. The kind of strength that you pour into everything you do. I've never met anybody else who comes close to you in that department."

"Booth…"

"Be strong now, baby. I know you hate it when I call you that, but I can't seem to help it. It fits you, you know? Almost as well as Bones does. Do you know why I nicknamed you Bones?" He patted her cheek again, and her eyes fluttered open again. "Of course you don't." He continued. "Right from the very beginning I knew you'd mean something to me. Calling you by your last name… it didn't seem right. Not when I felt so close to you already. I guess… "He paused, "Heh, you're not going to like this, Bones, but you probably won't remember it anyway. In a way I guess I nicknamed you because I wanted a part of you that was just mine."

"No…"

"Sshh. Don't get upset. Am I upsetting you?"

"My body temperature is too low." Brennan managed, instinctively curling into him.

Booth gathered her close, wrapping big, strong arms around her and carefully tucking her injured head under his chin. He laid a gentle kiss on her hair. "There we go, Bones. Hold on to me, alright? The medical team is going to be here any minute."

"Keep talking."

"Yeah? I didn't think you liked that. Alright, well, have I ever told you about the night of my 21st birthday, Bones?"

~B/B~

Friday 2:51 P.M.

The starkly white walls and the overtly medical smell of the hospital were disconcerting to Booth as he paced up and down the length of the visiting room, awaiting the results of Brennan's examination. His partner shouldn't have to be in a place like this. A place where sickness permeated the air and death lingered in every corner. His partner belonged out in the fresh air, her hands in the dirt. Or over an examination table, giving a small measure of life back to someone who had already passed.

She didn't belong in a place that made him feel like he might lose her.

"Agent Booth?" A nurse approached him and he stopped in his tracks.

"How is she?" He demanded.

"She's fine. Her diagnosis over own injury was largely correct. She does have a minimally depressed skull fracture, however, it doesn't look like she'll require surgery. The indentation of the bone is less than the thickness of the bone."

"So she'll be ok?" Relief began to spread through his body, releasing some of the numbing fear that had been gripping him.

"Well, we're going to keep her here for observation for at least tonight. Tomorrow we'll revaluate her condition and determine how to proceed. There's still a chance of swelling or internal bleeding."

Booth's eyes went wide and the nurse quickly amended, "Those conditions are not expected, Agent Booth. It's simply precautionary. We just need to make sure that we haven't missed anything before we send her home."

"Yeah, sure. Ok." Booth scrubbed a hand over his cheek. "Can I see her now?"

"Well…"

"I need to see my partner." He said more forcefully.

"I understand, Agent Booth, it's just that, at this point, we try to limit stress. We prefer that only family members visit and then only one at a time."

"I am her family."

The nurse smiled and nodded. "Yes, I can see that. Let me see what I can do, Agent Booth. You'll wait here?"

"I'm not going anywhere."

~B/B~

Friday 3:06 P.M.

"Booth? How is she?" Angela burst into the visitors' waiting room, already shooting rapid fire questions. Hodgins was two steps behind her, his usually jovial face furrowed in concern. "Have you seen the doctor yet? Did she ask for me? Have you seen her? What happened, Booth?"

"Angie, take a breath." Hodgins soothed, sliding his arm around her shoulders. "It's Dr. B we're talking about. She'll pull through whatever it is."

Booth stood from his chair where he'd been sitting between two rather noisy families and led his coworkers to a quieter corner. "Where's Cam? I need someone besides the nurse to translate all this med speak for me before I lose my mind here."

"She got caught up with some administrative thing that she couldn't get out of. She sends love and says she'll be here soon." Angela rattled off the information. "Tell me about Bren, Booth. What happened?"

"We were in this underground thing, looking for the murder scene. Arguing, of course." Booth dragged a hand over his hair. "I said the wrong thing. Again. I didn't mean it the way she took it and she went stalking off." He shook his head. "If I had just…"

"Facts before the guilt trip G-man. This is my best friend we're talking about."

"Yeah. Anyway, she went off on her own and I didn't follow her right away. Then all of a sudden there was this flash of some guy and she was on the ground. Just laying there. So white and so limp. Lifeless almost. He'd hit her square in the back of the head. Right at the base of the skull."

"Oh, Bren." Angela raised her hand to her mouth. "Tell me she's ok. Tell me that hard head protected her for once."

"The nurse says she should be fine." Booth shrugged, lifting a hand in a helpless gesture. "What am I gonna do but take her word for it? Bones always handles the medical stuff and she's…" He trailed off, rubbing his eyes. "And Cam apparently has administrative stuff to handle. So here I am. Hanging out in a waiting room, with almost no information, and a brilliant medical staff who won't let me back in there to see her." Booth rested his hands on his hips, his jaw firmly set. "You know what? I'm FBI. I'm an FBI Special Agent. If I want to see a patient, I'll good and well see a patient."

Booth started to storm off, stopping momentarily when Angela and Hodgins both laid a hand on his arm, holding him back.

"Hey," Hodgins said quietly. "I know it's tough man, but try to relax. Dr. B won't want you to cause a scene, you know?"

"I'm worried about her too, Booth." Angela soothed. "I'm sorry it took us so long to get here. You shouldn't have been here alone."

"I don't even know if she wants to see me." Booth sighed, accepting Angela's hug. "We were fighting when it happened and even though afterward things were more normal, she's still hurt. Hurt and angry and resentful. And I don't blame her, Ange, I really don't.

"She wants to see you, Booth. Of course she does."

"Agent Booth?" The nurse reappeared by his side and he released Angela, turned to the woman expectantly.

"Well?"

"You can see her now."

~B/B~

Friday 3:09 P.M.

Brennan hated hospital gowns almost as much as she hated lying around in bed with people scurrying around her, poking, prodding, testing, questioning. Hospital gowns were thin and scratchy and cumbersome. The one she was wearing now rubbed against her collar bone and continually bunched around her waist, no matter how still she attempted to lie.

But as much as she hated hospital gowns, she hated the medical machines even more. The beeping and the wires and the feeling that she was being watched, recorded and examined. It made her antsy. It made her want to run.

A knock on her door drew her attention away from her own misery, replacing irritation with utter confusion as she stared at her partner's large frame in the doorway.

"Hi, Bones." He said softly, stepping just an inch or two inside. "I would have been back sooner, but the nurses gave me fits about seeing you. How are you feeling?"

"Irritated." She responded honestly with hardly a moment's hesitation. Of course, she understood that the correct answer was that she was fine, but this was Booth and he'd see through the lie even if she was inclined to tell it.

"There's too much pain medication. I feel foggy. And this gown is rubbing abrasions onto my skin. My feet are chilled and I would like to speak to an actual doctor in the near future."

She was surprise when he simply smiled at her. "Geez, Bones, you don't know good it is to see you being normal. You really scared me, you know."

She remembered. She'd seen the fear in his face, felt it in his touch. She remembered his pleas for her to open her eyes, the way his lips had pressed against her skin, the way he'd called her baby. Like she was special to him.

Struggling to collect her still somewhat muddled thoughts, she simply said, "I will be fine. I am fine, in fact."

"You still need rest, Bones." He moved over to the table against the wall, dipping his fingers into a jar and pulling out a few cotton balls. Keeping his eyes on hers, he walked over to her. "Is the gown bothering the skin on your chest?"

"Yes." She looked up at him quizzically.

Nodding, he leaned down, carefully spreading the cotton balls into thin sheets of soft padding. Gently, he slid the protective cushioning underneath the neckline of her gown, his fingers whispering against her skin. "There. Does that help?"

It seemed like she simply stared at him forever before she answered. "Yes. Thank you."

"Sure." He gave her a small, easy smile and moved to the foot of the bed. To her utter amazement, he lifted her feet and tucked the sheets more securely around her legs, bundling her up and sending a rush of oddly sentimental warmth running through her. There was a blanket on the bench by the window in her room, and he grabbed it, tucking it around her feet also.

"Warmer?" He moved to sit on the edge of her bed.

"Yes." She still stared at him. After a moment, she cleared her throat. "I suppose you've been informed of the status of my condition."

"Yeah," He nodded, scrutinizing her face. "You were right, Bones. Half-conscious and bleeding, but you were right. Skull fracture. But the nurse said you're going to be ok. Right?"

"Yes, the blow wasn't hard enough to cause any protrusion of the bone into my brain. Naturally, head injuries are always of concern, but this particular injury could have been much worse."

"Don't even say that, Bones." Booth reached out and took her hand in his. "I'm so sorry that I let this happen to you. I should have…"

"Booth, there's no point in speculation." Brennan cut him off, eager to steer conversation away from anything that might bring up the discussion they'd been having before he walked away. When he'd made it clear how he felt about their current relationship. She wasn't entirely sure why he was here now, looking at her as though he wanted to drink her in.

"I should have protected you, Bones." He insisted. "If I hadn't been so…"

"Did you apprehend the man who assaulted me?" She interjected quickly.

Booth paused for a moment, looking at her carefully. Then he gave a sigh and looked down. "He's in custody. I'm going to question him, but I wanted to see you first. Whoever the scum bag is can wait in holding for a few hours. He doesn't want to deal with me right now anyway."

"No, Booth. You should go now." Brennan said firmly." You need to interrogate him as quickly as possible. I'm sure Angela will arrive soon anyway, so if you're irrationally concerned about me being alone its unnecessary."

"She and Hodgins are already here." Booth looked up from the patterns he was tracing on her hand. "But maybe… I mean, are you saying…? Bones, would you rather I wasn't here?" His voiced tightened with apprehension. "Do you just want me to go?"

She looked out the small window for a moment, wondering how that question could have two such utterly contradictory answers. She desperately wanted him to leave because the hurt of his dismissal of her that morning was far sharper than the thudding of her head. And yet she just as desperately wanted him to stay because just the touch of his hand irrationally eased the pain of both.

When she didn't answer, he continued.

"I know we were fighting, Bones. I haven't forgotten. I know you're pretty angry at me and I understand why, too." He turned her hand over, his fingers kneading absently at her palm. "So if you really want me to go, Bones, I will. The last thing you need right now is stress. Just…" He looked up at her, sadness emanating from his eyes, "if you ask me to go, make sure that you're sure first, because walking out of here is going to kill me. I'll do it if you want me to, but just be sure first, ok?"

His absolute sincerity wasn't lost on her. His shoulders were slumped, his face haggard and etched with worry. Everything within her wanted to move over in the bed and let him sit beside her with his arms around her, letting them both benefit from the strange comfort they derived from each other. She'd lay her aching head on his chest and his hands would trail over her skin, simultaneously warming her and raising goosebumps in their wake.

"I think you should go, Booth." She said firmly, pushing away her self-indulgent thoughts.

He jerked his head up to look at her, his mouth gaping slightly. It only took him a second to press his lips together and nod in resignation. He relinquished his grip on her hand. "Ok, Bones. For now I will, but…"

"I wasn't finished speaking." She admonished. "I think you should go and interrogate the man who attacked me. I'll be fine here and you should act quickly on this case. We need to discover his motivation for his attack as soon as possible."

"Bones, that can wait. If that's the only reason…"

"It's not." She folded her hands in her lap, not offering an explanation for her statement. "But perhaps once you finish with him, if you have the time and the inclination, then you could return here."

"Are you asking me to come back, Bones?"

"No." She wasn't asking anything of him. "I'm simply saying that if you wanted to return, I wouldn't mind."

"Close enough." He offered her a small smile. "Alright, Bones. I'll go, but I'll be back soon. Two hours, three tops."

"When you have time." She affected nonchalance, and he ignored her.

"I'm going to tell Angela to call me at even the slightest hint of a problem, though, ok? You need me or you just want me, you have her call me. I'll be here so fast, you'll have to start calling me Clark Kent."

Brennan raised her eyebrows. "Why… oh. Superman. You're implying that you could fly here at some sort of accelerated speed."

"You got it, Bones. At the drop of a hat."

"Hmm. Perhaps you are the one with the brain injury."

Booth let out a surprised chuckle. "You made a funny joke, Bones. Something really must be wrong with your brain."

Brennan cracked a smile, gingerly shaking her head at him and wincing from the pain it sent shooting through her. "Ug." She grunted eloquently.

"More meds?" Booth stood, moving towards the button that would release more medication into her system.

"No! No more medication. I despise medication." Brennan snapped, resting her head back and closing her eyes.

"Ok, Bones. No more then." Booth said softly. "Just rest now. Rest and get better. Promise?"

"You're only going to be gone a few hours, Booth. I can't promise a full recovery." Brennan's voice was soft, her words ever so slightly slurred and Booth could tell she was succumbing to whatever medication was already in her system.

Booth leaned over her, very carefully laying his palm on her cheek and pressing his lips to her forehead. "Be ok, Bones. For me. I need you to be ok."

She mumbled something that wasn't quite coherent and he kissed her forehead again. "I'll be back soon, Bones, and you won't shake me again. I'll give you a little time, but then you're out of luck." Reaching down, he carefully lowered the bed so that she was lying more horizontally. "There you go. Sleep well and heal for me, baby."

Easing away from her, he moved quietly to the door and turned off the light. Looking back at her one more time, he was gone.

~B/B~

Friday 4:17 P.M.

"What were you doing down there?" Booth demanded for the seventh time in half as many minutes. "Do you live down there? Were you hiding out down there? What was it?"

"I ain't talkin' to you, man. How many times I gotta say it? I know my rights." The man who'd hit Brennan, Scottie Harmon, slouched down in his chair, drawing the hood of his sweatshirt up so that it half covered his face. "Hey, why don't you let a guy get some shut eye, eh? Ain't usually in nice places like this, ya know."

Booth slammed his fist down on the table, making the grungy teenager jump.

"Hey!" Scottie scowled. "That there is some police brutally."

"It's police brutality, you moron." Booth hissed, standing up out of his chair and pacing beside the table. "Let me explain this to you again. You attacked my partner. You attacked, and could have killed, the one person who it is my job to protect no matter what."

"Didn't do nothing. But man, looks like you ain't so good at your job, huh?"

Booth leaned over the boy, his palm pressed on the table, his face close enough to Scottie's to see and smell that the boy hadn't seen a toothbrush in weeks. "Don't mess with me, Scottie. You attacked her and you ran like the little coward that you are. And now you're the only thing keeping me from going back to her and staying with her while she recovers from the skull fracture that you gave her. So once again, you're coming between me and my partner and that is not a good thing to do, Scottie. That's a very, very dangerous thing to do."

Scottie laughed. "Yeah, cause then you can't kiss her anymore."

"What?" Booth growled.

"You can't kiss her no more. You know… like how every time you look at her you think about kissing her."

Booth reached out and grabbed the boy by his dirty sweatshirt, hauling him up out of his chair. "You really are stupid, aren't you, Scottie? You just proved you were in that underground structure today, close enough to hear a very private conversation."

"Wha – nuh, uh." Scottie pushed at Booth's hand. "I didn't hear nothin."

Booth's temper snapped and he shook the boy before pushing him up against the wall. "Listen to me you little…"

Booth's train of thought was interrupted by the sound of his phone trilling loudly in his pocket. Not releasing his hold on Scottie, Booth reached for it, flipping it open and curtly answering, "Booth."

"_Booth, you need to get back over here."_

The fear in Angela's voice sent chills down Booth's spine and he released Scottie, stepping back.

"Angela, what happened? Is she ok?"

"_The doctors say there's some swelling. She's not that coherent right now. Booth, I'm scared. Please come."_

"Angela, stay calm. I'm coming right now. Tell her I'll be there in just a minute and that I won't let anything happen to her."

"_Hurry, Booth."_

Booth snapped his phone shut, his heart racing wildly. Scottie still stood apprehensively nearby and Booth grabbed him by the throat, pushing him back against the wall. "If anything happens to her, it's you I'm coming after. Sit here and think about that."

Booth released the shaken boy and grabbed his jacket off the back of his chair. As he made his way out the door, down the hall and to his truck, he called on every saint he could think of, asking them to keep the woman who had inadvertently becomes his whole world safe for him.

~B/B~

**No, no. Let me say it for you! "How could you leave us with such a cliffhanger? We can't wait a week!" **

**Lol, I do apologize. Really, I do. So to help make the wait a little easier, I'll go ahead and tell you that I think you guys really deserve some resolution and some happier fluff in the next chapter. The angst has reigned long enough! ;-)**

**Thanks for continuing to read and I hope to hear from lots of you! =)  
**

**Less than a week till BONES!**

**~Elle**


	19. The Logic in the Second Chance

**A/N: So, this is technically early Sunday morning, not Saturday night. But if I told you I'd been working on this all night to try to get it ready to post, would you forgive me for being late? ;-) Seriously though, I have been obsessing about this chapter for awhile now. But it's up now and I'll let you all decide what you think. I hope you like it.**

**Thank you to all of you who reviewed the last chapter. I appreciate it so much. I'm going to try to reply, but this chapter took a lot out of me and I have a tone of schoolwork to catch up on. Even if you don't hear from me, though, I promise I loved reading your review.**

**Thanks to Hannah Taylor for her excellent Beta work. She just posted an amazing chapter for _Problem Solving, The Booth and Brennan Way. _You should go check it out. =)**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Bones!**

~B/B~

Saturday 7:21 A.M.

Her mind was a mass of blurry colors and images that she couldn't quite discern as Brennan slowly reentered the conscious world. For the second time in as many days she found herself struggling to wake, to open her eyes. There was a dull thudding in her head and her body felt heavy, unused and sore.

The one sensation that came through the most clearly was the weight of something across her stomach. There was something warm and solid resting on her there and she focused on the feeling, letting it draw her out of her own head and back to reality.

Slowly, she opened her eyes, taking in the dreary hospital room she remembered. There were a few differences that her mind catalogued automatically. Flower arrangements rested on the windowsill with a few cards lying beside them. A bag that she recognized as her own sat on one of the hospital chairs and she could see a peek of her own clothes inside of it. Her favorite pair of lounge pants. It made her long for her own things, her own space.

Turning her head carefully, she located the source of the heavy weight on her stomach. Booth had pulled a chair up to her bed and his arm was resting on her, his big hand pressing against her side. His dark head rested on his arm and his eyes were closed, his mouth gaping open ever so slightly as he slept.

Reaching out, Brennan brought her fingers to his cheek, gently tracing the line of stubble along his cheek. Her touch stirred him and his eyes opened slowly. The smile that crossed his face when their eyes locked warmed Brennan from the inside out.

"Hi." He murmured, bringing the hand that wasn't already resting on her up to press her hand against his cheek. "You're awake."

"I am." She agreed, not protesting when he angled his head and pressed a kiss to her palm. "Though I'm somewhat disoriented."

"Yeah." He sat up, careful not to jostle her. His hand stayed on her stomach, rubbing her gently. "That's ok, Bones. You had a long night."

"So did you, judging on your appearance. You look awful."

He smiled, linking his fingers with hers. "You look beautiful."

She frowned. "I doubt that is true."

Booth simply pressed another kiss to her hand. "How are you feeling? I should go get the doctor. I bet you want all the details and she should probably look you over."

"I feel… heavy." She mused. "There is a great deal of medication in me, isn't there?"

"Maybe a little." He admitted, rubbing her arm. "Let me go get the doctor, Bones. She can tell you better than I can."

He started to stand up, but she tightened her grip on his hand. "No, Booth."

He paused, his brow furrowing. "Bones…"

"Wait." She insisted, tugging him closer. "I know you were here all night, Booth. Everything is a bit blurry, but I remember that you never left."

"Of course I didn't." He reached out and trailed the back of his hand down her cheek. "You scared us all pretty bad, you know. I had to force Angela to leave so she could get some rest. Oh, and your dad nearly made me hit him again before he'd go. We were all here for you, Bones. You have lots of people that love you."

"But you stayed."

"Yeah." He grew serious. "Where else was I gonna go, Bones? You were here."

"Booth," She sighed, wishing she knew how to express what she wanted him to know. "I know that… " She closed her eyes for a moment before looking at him again. "I know that our… situation, it isn't ideal currently."

"Bones, not now." He soothed, brushing her hair back. "Don't think about that now."

"No, Booth," She protested, squeezing his hand harder. "I want you to know."

His eyes searched her face. "Know what?"

"That it's not all your fault." She murmured softly. "You're a good partner. And a good man. Your actions yesterday were wrong and they upset me. However, I know you very well, Booth, and the evidence overwhelmingly indicates that you have good intentions towards me and our partnership. I want to… apologize for not allowing you to offer an alternative explanation for your behavior. In retrospect, should have listened."

Booth kept his eyes on hers for a long moment, his thumb drawing soft circles on her wrist. "Thanks, Bones. For having faith in me."

"It's not faith, Booth. I simply examine the evidence I'm presented with."

"Call it whatever you want. It still means a lot." He smiled down at her, touching her face once more. "I promise, Bones, once you're up for it, we'll have a nice long talk and I'll give you that alternative explanation. But for now, let's just get you better, ok?"

She nodded carefully and he smiled at her. Leaning forward, he pressed a gentle kiss to her cheek. "I'm going to call your doctor. The last time she checked you she said the swelling was almost completely gone, but I don't want to take any chances." Standing up, he reluctantly relinquished her hand. "Don't go anywhere, ok?"

"That would be almost physically impossible at this point."

He grinned. "You have no idea how glad I am to hear you say something like that, Bones."

~B/B~

Saturday 7:56 A.M.

"Alright, Dr. Brennan," The doctor finished the head and neck exam and stepped back. "You've made great improvements. The swelling responded very well to the medication and oxygen treatment we administered overnight. We'll do a scan in a little bit, just to make sure, but considering the almost complete disappearance of your symptoms and the results of this exam, I would say you're well on your way back to perfect health."

"Perfect health is likely an exaggeration. I still have a head injury." Brennan observed, settling herself back against the bed. "And my symptoms have certainly not disappeared. I'm still exhibiting slower reflexes and some minor memory loss. For instance, the last night's events are quite hazy. I remember only small portions of time."

"Yes..." The doctor nodded slowly. "But that's all very normal. Your body has undergone a trauma and you were on a high quantity of medication last night. Slow reflexes and hazy memory are both very normal. There's no cause for concern."

"I wasn't concerned." Brennan said calmly. "I was simply pointing out the inaccuracy of your statement."

"I think what Bones… uh, Dr. Brennan means is that she's grateful for you help and she's glad to be on the mend." Booth interjected quickly from his place beside Brennan's bed. He laid his hand carefully on his partner's shoulder, pressing lightly and giving her an encouraging look. "Right, Bones?"

"No, I meant…"

"It doesn't matter." The doctor shook her head. "The important thing is that you're simply going to be here under observation for a little while, Dr. Brennan. We'll see how things go throughout the day and if there aren't any further problems we may be able to release you as early as tomorrow afternoon."

"Thanks, doc." Booth stepped forward, shaking the doctor's hand. "We appreciate it."

"Uh-huh." The doctor gave Booth a look. "I hope you also appreciate our nurses bending the visitation rules for you, Agent Booth. I'm not sure which persuaded them more, your smile or your badge."

Booth grinned. "Hey, whatever it takes, right?"

"Hmm. You're welcome to stay with Dr. Brennan as long as you'd like, but try to cooperate. FBI or not, we do have regulations around here."

"You got it." Booth nodded. "Hey, you guys saved my partner. You'll get nothing but cooperation from me."

"Your partner." The doctor raised her eyebrows. "I'm glad doctors work alone. I think that level of… partnership would be bad for my marriage."

Turning on her heel with a smile, the doctor left Brennan's room, closing the door behind her, leaving Booth and Brennan alone once again.

Booth cleared his throat, a defensive sound against the awkward silence the doctor's last comment had created.

Oblivious to any form of underlying meaning, Brennan asked, "Why would a partnership be detrimental to her marriage? I would think that, being married, she'd be quite adept at making partnerships work."

"Heh, yeah." Booth hedged. "Weird." Moving to sit beside her again, he looked her over. "So how are you really feeling, Bones? Any pain?"

"Some." She admitted. "Primarily, I feel slow and heavy. I would very much like to change into my own clothes."

"Right, sure…" Booth stood, picking up the bag that Angela had gone and gotten last night. "Angela brought you some things here. The doctor said you were ok to move around a little, but you gotta be really careful, Bones. A slip or a fall could be pretty bad still."

Brennan frowned as she started to ease from the bed. "I'm not in the habit of falling as I walk, Booth."

"Yeah," He moved back over to her, taking her arm as she carefully stood. "maybe not. But you still have to be careful… woah, Bones." He wrapped his arms around her as she swayed slightly, holding her tightly against him. "Bones?"

"I'm fine." She insisted. "It's perfectly natural to be off balance after lying down for an extended period of time. It has nothing to do with the injury." She laid a hand on his chest, attempting to push herself back, but he held her firmly to him, his arms wrapped securely around her waist. "Booth?"

"Just… give me a second, Bones. This is for me. You're fine, I get that."

"Are you feeling dizzy now?" She asked, worry tinting her voice as she complied and leaned against him.

"A little." He murmured, lowering his forehead to her shoulder. "Metaphorically, Bones. Did you know that just a few hours ago I was worried that I'd never get to do this again?"

"Are you referring to sharing a guy hug?"

Booth chuckled into her neck, sliding his hand up her back to press her closer. "No, Bones. I'm referring to holding you. Can you imagine me hugging a guy like this?"

"Not really." Brennan admitted, smiling at the thought. "Though I can reasonably hypothesize what Hodgins' reaction would be if you tried."

"Ack, Bones!" Booth pulled away just enough to look at her, his face screwed up in disgust. "Why would you ever even say that?"

"I was answering your question." Brennan defended herself. She met his eyes, her smile fading ever so slightly. "Were they ever guy hugs, Booth?"

He reached a hand up to play with the ends of her hair, his eyes staying on hers. "I don't know, Bones. Probably not. I've always been more than a little aware that you're a beautiful woman."

Unbidden, his eyes dropped to her lips and he saw the flush in her cheeks as she tracked the movement. Forcing his eyes back up, he gave her a small, somewhat sheepish smile. "You, uh, wanted to change."

"Yes." She took a step back and he bent over to pick her bag back up.

"Here." He handed it to her, frowning as she gripped it with both hands. "Bones, maybe I should call a nurse or something. Have someone help you. Or Angela… I could call Angela."

"I'll manage, Booth. There's no need."

"Fine, but…be careful, ok?"

"I'm perfectly capable of changing clothes without assistance." Brennan moved slowly towards the bathroom, closing the door behind her and disappearing from his view.

Booth sat down on her bed and dropped his head into his hands, relief and tension mingling together throughout his whole body. Silently, he sent up a prayer of thanks before pulling out his phone and starting the calls he'd promised he'd make as soon as her condition changed.

~B/B~

Saturday 8:12 A.M.

Brennan changed clothes slowly, for once submitting to her body's limits. She could hear Booth on the phone, though she couldn't quite understand what he was saying other than that he was spreading the word that she was recovering.

Leaning towards the small mirror, Brennan surveyed herself, taking in her somewhat wild hair and the paleness of her skin, the darkness under her eyes. Booth had said she looked beautiful, which forced her to conclude that he had a different definition for the word than she did. Tilting her head, she examined the wound at the back of her head, clinically assessing its depth and length.

She turned the faucet on, bringing a handful of cool water to her face, hoping that it would help to drive away the pervasive fog that was still hovering around her. She ran a few tests through her mind, quizzing herself on complicated formulas and rare conditions. Maintaining eye contact with herself, she forced her mind to make logical calculations, pulling her current research and studies into her head.

It was a welcome relief to her that, despite the haze, her mind seemed to still function at its typical, superior level. All through the night, as she'd drifted in and out of consciousness, she'd worried about the damage that was being done to the one thing that she defined herself by – her mind. Booth had sensed her concern and she could still hear him murmuring reassurances, promising to make sure that nothing happened to her, promising not to leave her side.

Closing her eyes, he conjured up her partner's face in her mind and held it there as she wrapped her arms around herself. There were things that she needed to say to him. Things that needed to be resolved between them. Everything had fallen apart so quickly, spinning out of control and leaving them hanging in a state of limbo that she was quickly growing tired of. She needed to find a way to tell him what had been on her mind since the moment he'd closed her door behind him on Tuesday night, and this time the conversation had to go right. Neither of them could take much more of the constant conflict that their interactions had been reduced to.

She quickly finished smoothing down her hair and brushing her teeth, eager to return to Booth's strong presence. With one last glance at herself, she opened the door, stepping back into the hospital room just as Booth slid his phone back into his pocket.

He sent her a smile, immediately moving towards her to steady her unnecessarily. "I called Max for you. He said to tell you that he loves you and that he knew you'd pull through just fine. He's going to stop by and see you this afternoon."

"There's no need. He was here last night, wasn't he?" She allowed Booth to lead her to her bed and even complied when he gentle nudged her into sitting on it.

"Yeah, but he wants to see you for himself, Bones. He's been worried about you." Booth pulled his chair closer, sitting himself in front of her and taking both of her hands in his. "I talked to Angela too. She squealed in my ear, Bones. Loudly." He smiled, rubbing her cold hands. "She said to give you lots of hugs and kisses and that she'll be by this afternoon."

Unable to resist, Brennan lifted her eyebrows at her partner. "Are you going to impart Angela's hugs and kisses or are they intended metaphorically?"

Booth let out a nervous laugh. "Uh… well, usually it's just a phrase."

"Ah." Brennan nodded thoughtfully, her heart rate increasing as his eyes once again dropped to her lips just briefly enough for her to notice, before their gazes met again. She paused, waiting to see if he would lean towards her, if his lips would part with the anticipation of meeting hers. But he stayed still, his tired brown eyes dropping awkwardly. Disappointed but not surprised, she moved on quickly, drawing on the first thought she honed in on.

"It's odd that both Dad and Angela elected to come by this afternoon. I would think, given their mutual belief that I require company, that they would come earlier."

"Yeah, well," Booth frowned slightly, looking a little hesitant to explain, "I sorta told them that I was going to be with you this morning. And since there's a limit on visitors and… well, anyway. We have the morning to ourselves."

The thought buoyed her spirits remarkably and she smiled. "I find the idea of that very enjoyable." But even as she admitted the feeling, something nagged at her. "But Booth," She frowned, shifting just the wrong way and cringing as pain shot through her from the sudden movement.

"Careful, Bones." He admonished gently, reaching a hand out to touch her hair. "You're doing too much too fast here."

"Booth, you have Parker this weekend. You have Parker two weekends in a row because I've already cost you one weekend with your son." Brennan pushed his hand away, and cringed once again. "Booth, I don't want you to stay here with me at the expense of time with your son."

"Bones…" He said her name in his most soothing, compelling voice as he rose to sit beside her.

"You're not allowed to be on the hospital bed, Booth. It's a rule."

"The nurses like me." He slid his arm around her, drawing her to him. "Bones, I know you hate being hurt or sick, but you have to remember that you actually are hurt whether you want to be or not. You have to stop moving around so much, and don't think I'm not noticing those winces you keep making. Just calm down, ok? If you overdo it, you could have a relapse and my nerves can't take it." He ran his hand up and down her arm lightly before reaching up to touch her face. "I need you to keep getting better, not worse."

"Booth…"

"I'm still going to have my weekend with Parker." He assured her. "I called Rebecca last night and she's willing to bring him by here sometime this afternoon. I'll stay with you until then and then Parker and I will spend some time together. Everything is fine."

"But, Booth, you shouldn't…"

He laid a finger against her lips. "Relax. Look at me." She complied and he grew very serious, his eyes searching hers. "The last twenty-four hours have been some of the worst of my life, Bones. When I saw you drop to the ground like that, when I held you in my arms hoping that you'd open your eyes. When I was waiting to hear how you were, not even sure if you wanted to see me. When I got that call from Angela that said you had complications. Bones… when I looked at you last night, laying in that bed, pale as a ghost, confused and in pain…" He rested his forehead against hers very gently and closed his eyes. "It's been a long time since I was that scared, Bones. When you woke up this morning and talked to me, just like you always have, I tried not to show you how desperately thankful I was to have you back, because I didn't want you worry."

"Booth…"

"Nothing else is more important than being with you right now, Bones." He opened his eyes, looking directly into hers. "I need to be with you right now. I need to see that you're ok. And Parker understands. He's a good kid, Bones. He was so worried about you last night when I talked to him." Booth smiled, leaning just enough away that his forehead was no longer against his. "He said he's going to make you a card and he asked his mom if they could buy flowers too."

"He's very sweet." Brennan whispered, touched more than she could imagine, both by Parker and his father.

"Yeah, he is." Booth squeezed her arm, rubbing her skin lightly. "Don't push me away this time, ok, Bones? I'm not giving you that option today. Yesterday I left you when I knew I shouldn't and this happened."

"Booth, you have to know that the two events are unrelated."

"Logically, sure, I know. But emotionally, they feel pretty closely connected to me." He looked down and slid his hand to hers, linking their fingers. "Are you going to tell me I can't be with you right now, Bones?"

She knew the answer to his question immediately. Finding that she had absolutely no desire to push him away anymore, she rested her injured head on his shoulder and whispered, "Stay, Booth."

~B/B~

Saturday 11:17 A.M.

Booth sauntered back into Brennan's room, waving the deck of cards he'd borrowed from the nurses' station. "Success, Bones. These should keep us entertained for awhile."

"Cards?" Brennan frowned from her bed, to where Booth had regaled her when she had returned from her scan, despite the fact that results of the scan were excellent. "You want to play cards?"

"Well, what else is there to do around here, Bones? It's Saturday morning in a hospital room. If you don't want to watch cartoons, you're out of luck."

"We could converse."

Booth perched himself at the foot of her bed so that they were both sitting on top of the light sheet. "And we will. During a game of cards."

"Booth, you're on the bed again."

"I see your powers of observation haven't been affected by your injury." Booth grinned cheekily at his partner. "I'm relieved."

"Why do you want to play cards so badly?"

"Why do you not want to?" Booth challenged. "Afraid I'll win?"

"No." Brennan sniffed. "I'm very good at card games."

"Ah. Of course you are, Bones. But… are you good at poker?" Booth raised his eyebrows, shuffling the cards in one hand.

Brennan frowned, crossing her arms over her chest. "I've never played, but I would assume I'm skilled at it, yes."

Booth chuckled. "Then you won't mind a little Texas Hold 'Em."

"Wait, Booth!" Brennan sat up too quickly and Booth was immediately beside her when she winced.

"Geez, Bones, how many times are you going to do that before you remember? Be careful." He spoke gently, rubbing her back soothingly.

"We can't play poker. You're a degenerate gambler." Brennan chided, ignoring his concern and resting her hand on his leg. "I can't allow you to play any card game, Booth."

Booth rolled his eyes, sliding his hand up her arm and bringing her closer. "I'm not a degenerate gambler, Bones. I'm a recovered addict who can handle a little poker game where there isn't even any money involved. We don't even have chips."

"It doesn't matter." Brennan said firmly. "You might develop an affinity for the game again. There are online poker games that you could access in a moment." She shook her head and he gave her a sharp look, taking her chin so that she couldn't continue to move. "It's too dangerous, Booth."

"Bones…"

"I'd like to talk." Brennan said simply. "There are a number of important things I want to discuss with you."

"Sure, Bones." Booth's tone was evasive and he dropped his hand from her face, looking down at the deck in his hand. "And we will talk. But first we should just relax. You've had a hard time, you know. You could use a little fun."

"No, Booth, I…"

"Look, I'll just show you how the game works." He insisted, standing up and moving back to the end of her bed where he sat cross legged. "Ok, so each person gets two cards." He explained as he dealt. When he looked up Brennan was merely staring at him and he nodded towards the cards he'd laid in front of her. "You can look at them, Bones."

With a sigh, Brennan reached out and flipped her cards over. "A jack and a three. Booth, why are you avoiding talking with me?"

"Ok, that's… one way to play." Booth made a face, shaking his head. "Normally, we don't share what we have, but, hey, we'll call this a practice round. A teaching method."

"I don't want to be taught. I'd like to talk with you."

"We will, Bones. Ok, so normally we'd bet now, but we'll just skip that part. Takes the gambling right out of it."

"What is there to bet on?" Brennan asked in spite of herself.

"Right now just these first two cards. You have to try to predict what kind of hand you might get." Booth was warming to his subject as he picked up the deck of cards again, ready to continue dealing. "Ok, so this is called the flop." He explained as he laid three cards out.

"The flop?"

"Right."

Brennan raised her eyebrows, a faint smirk appearing on her face. "For a game with such a historically cultural link with extreme masculinity, that is certainly an emasculating term."

Booth's eyes widened. "Geez, Bones!"

"What? I was simply pointing out that…"

"Don't! Don't point out things! That is not what they mean when they call it the flop. Ok? Are we clear on that?"

Brennan folded her arms across her chest. "Are you certain?"

Booth sent her a glare. "Yes! I'm sure, Bones. Just… let's just move on. So, the three cards here are a seven, a Jack and a King. That's good for you, Bones, because you have a Jack. So now you have two Jacks."

"Booth, why are we doing this?"

"And look, both of your cards are spades and two of these are spades. That means you're one card away from a flush, Bones. That's really good."

"Booth, I don't want to collect Jacks or flush them!" Brennan insisted, becoming agitated as she started to get up from the bed.

"Bones, where are you going? Hey, be careful… oh." Booth cut himself off as Brennan moved to stand beside him, her hand reaching up to his shoulders to turn him towards her. He complied and suddenly found his partner standing between his legs, one hand on his shoulder and the other on his face as she stared down at him.

His heart rate picked up speed faster than a Lamborghini. "Bones?"

Experimentally, Brennan leaned a bit closer and Booth's hands went to her waist automatically and his eyes rested once again on her lips as he wet his own.

"I'm ready to talk now, Booth. About us." Brennan informed him calmly, her hand moving back to Booth's hair.

"Bones…" Booth closed his eyes in self-defense, shaking his head. "Bones, I don't think we should do this now."

"Why not now? You've always been very eager to talk in the past." Brennan ran both hands through his hair, moving closer. "I was thinking about yesterday and I believe I understand that motivation for your behavior. You recognized that your emotions were high and your biological urges were not fully under control. You were worried that those factors would interfere with your job performance if we worked together. It was a rational concern, Booth."

Booth opened his mouth to speak, but Brennan continued.

"Of course, I still object to how you chose to handle the problem you were faced with, but I can believe your assertion that you were not attempting to push me away or sever our partnership. And in light of everything that has occurred since then, the incident seems relatively insignificant." Brennan let one hand trail across the line of his jaw, moving to gently trace his lips. "Booth, I want to start over…"

"Stop, Bones." Booth said sharply, pulling away from her. "Please, just stop."

Surprised at the strength of his unexpected reaction, Brennan took a careful step back, breaking contact between them completely. "I'm sorry, I thought that…" She trailed off, standing awkwardly before him, vulnerability radiating from her slender frame.

With a groan, he stood, pulling her into his arms and holding her until her tense body relaxed against him. "No, I'm sorry, Bones. You thought right. I mean, if what you were thinking was that I'd still give my right arm and leg to be with you then you're right. Don't doubt that. I just… I can't do this now. Like this."

"Like what?" She pulled back to look at him. "What's wrong with now?"

"You've just been through a lot, Bones." He reached up a hand to tuck her hair behind her ear and trail over her cheek. "You shouldn't even be standing up right now, much less making any life changing decisions."

"Booth…"

"But it's not just you I'm worried about." He admitted, guiding her slowly back to her bed. "To be honest, I'm worried about me, too."

"Why?" Brennan sat in compliance with the pressure from his hand and leaned back against the propped up bed.

Booth lifted her legs up on to the bed and then sat beside her, taking her hand. "Because, Bones, I think we've both gotten a little confused here. One minute we're fighting and the next we're dealing with a life and death situation and everything gets put on hold." Booth looked down at their linked fingers. "People get confused when there are life and death situations. They react to feelings that might not really be there."

"I don't understand."

"I just… Bones, you made it pretty clear what you do and don't want from me." Booth said softly. "I'm dealing with that. Not very well, but I'm dealing with it. And now it seems like maybe you're feeling like you were wrong about what you said Tuesday night." He looked back up at her, his gaze searching hers out. "No, don't answer." He stopped her quickly when she started to speak. "It's just that I need to know, Bones, if we ever do reevaluate our relationship and what we want from it, I need to know that it's not because you're confused or glad to be alive or out of some sense of gratitude or obligation that you feel because I helped you."

"Booth…"

"Because if I let you talk right now, and you said you wanted to give us a try, I'd take you up on it in a heartbeat." Booth confessed. "And then tomorrow or the next day, when everything has settled back down to normal, you'd realize that it was just a knee-jerk reaction. You'd realize you'd make a mistake and then what would I do, Bones? I don't think I'd be able to deal with that." He gave her a pleading look. "So can we just play some cards and have some fun? Let's just be together for a while, and we'll figure out what that means later, ok?"

"It's not a knee-jerk reaction, Booth." Brennan insisted, refusing to let the subject drop.

"Bones…" Booth shook his head, dropping his chin to his chest.

"I don't really have knee-jerk reactions. My logic is flawless. Would you like to hear my reasoning?"

"Do I have a choice?"

"I suppose, but I wish you would say yes." Brennan's voice was soft as her hand pressed against his.

He looked up at her in amazement, taking in the earnest sheen in her eyes. "Wow, Bones, you really know how to work a guy, don't you? How am I supposed to turn you down when you look and sound like that?

"Is that a yes?"

With a sigh, Booth made a gesture for her to continue. "Shoot, Bones. Let me have it. Logic me up. Why not?" Booth settled in, watching his partner's face.

Brennan smiled. "Thank you, Booth. First, I want you to know that my concern about being with you never stemmed from a concern about actually being with you."

"Good. Alright, then. That was about as clear as mud, Bones."

"My concern was over the way in which you wanted us to be together, not the actual act of us being together." Brennan explained carefully. "On Tuesday night I believed we had reached an impasse, but the days that followed gave me ample opportunity to rethink my conclusion. And as I thought, I came to the realization that we want very similar things, Booth."

Booth narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "Do we, Bones?"

"Yes." Brennan nodded firmly. "And, in case you are taking this as a knee-jerk reaction to anything that has occurred in the past 24 hours, I came to this conclusion late Thursday night. It was my intention to contact you on Friday, but…"

"But I showed up and, in your eyes, kicked you to the curb." Booth sighed, rubbing his eyes. "It's like the universe is against us, Bones."

"That's highly improbable." Brennan dismissed his comment and moved on quickly. "I realized that we want the same things, Booth, because what I want is for us to add a sexual component to our existing relationship without altering it, and what you want is for us to have a typical romantic relationship."

Booth stared at her for a moment before the fear entered his eyes. "Bones, are you feeling ok?" He moved closer to her, touching her face gently. "Are you getting a headache again or any other symptoms?"

"Booth," Brennan pushed his hand away impatiently. "I'm not relapsing into confusion. Just listen and attempt to think rationally. You've said yourself that we've developed a surrogate relationship. We spend a great deal of time together, both professionally and personally. In many respects we behave as a couple would, but without the sexual component."

" For instance," Brennan pushed on as Booth gaped at her, "I have a key to your apartment. Angela has informed me numerous times that that is an important step in a relationship. Furthermore, we spend approximately five out of seven evenings a week together. That is as many, if not more, than a normal couple would spend together, isn't it?"

"I guess..." Booth managed.

"Precisely." Brennan nodded triumphantly. "So, what I am suggesting is that by simply adding a sexual component to our pre-existing relationship, we are in fact creating a relationship that meets your criteria." She paused, waiting for him to respond. When he didn't, she prompted him, "What do you think?"

"Geez, Bones, I don't know. It's a lot to take in." Booth shook his head. "I mean…"

"Can you think of anything, besides sex, that you'd like to have change about our relationship?"

Booth shrugged, shifting uncomfortably. "Well, sure, Bones. There's the romantic things. Like holding hands when we walk down a street. Or finding fun ways to surprise you with flowers or some other kind of gift, just because. Or getting you all dressed up in some fancy dress, with your perfume in all those girly places, and taking you out for a ridiculously expensive dinner just because it's been three months since our first date." Booth gave her a look that challenged her to deny what he was about to say. "Those are the kinds of things you hate, Bones."

She rose to the challenge. "I don't hate them, Booth. I simply don't see the point. At least, for the flowers and the fancy dinner."

Booth raised his eyebrows. "And for the other one?"

Brennan flushed ever so slightly as she looked down at their linked hands. "You have very nice hands, Booth. I find that I enjoy your propensity for touching me with them, even if the gestures don't always serve a concrete purpose."

"Geez, Bones…" Booth let out a whooshing breath. "You're killing me here. What are you trying to say? I'm talking bottom line now. Give me the ultimate conclusion before I lose my mind trying not to get my hopes up."

Brennan nodded, leaning towards him, her clear blue eyes locked on his. "The bottom line is that I believe I'd like to date you, Booth."

"You want to… date me." Booth repeated, feeling like he was the one with the banged up head.

"Yes. Casually, of course, but exclusively. I believe it is an excellent compromise. Much of our relationship will remain at the same level of intimacy, but with…" she slid her hand slowly up his bicep and over his shoulder, "several marked improvements."

"Do you really mean exclusive, Bones? Because I'm not interested in being the sea welder to your gay Jason or anything. I don't share well." Booth allowed her to pull him closer as his eyes locked on hers and his breath stilled in his lungs.

"If I told you that I find you more physically attractive and more intellectually stimulating than either Mark or Jason, would you become cocky, Booth?" Brennan tilted her head, a smile forming on her lips.

"Definitely." Booth grinned back, resting his hand on the bed as he leaned over her. "And I'd be amazed, Bones. I feel like this isn't happening. I feel like we're going to spontaneously burst into some horrible argument or something."

Brennan's smile widened and she dropped her eyes to his mouth, arching her neck to bring their faces closer. "Then maybe we should stop talking."

Nodding, Booth leaned in, resting his forehead against hers for a moment before brushing her lips with his. "Maybe…"

"Sshh." Brennan insisted, lifting her arms around his neck and drawing him closer, claiming his lips. "Kiss me, Booth."

He obeyed willingly as his lips met hers over and over. He kept his touch gentle so that his movements didn't jostle her, concentrating on pouring himself into the kiss, drawing out the moment for as long as possible, relishing each feeling, each sensation that was coursing through him.

When he finally broke the kiss to allow her to breathe, he stayed close, unable to pull himself away. "Are you sure, Bones?"

"I'm sure." She nodded, resting her cheek against his shoulder and feathering light kisses over his neck. "I can't offer you any kind of assurance that I will be good at maintaining a relationship, considering I haven't been very successful in the past, but I am sure I want to act on what is between us." Brennan drew back, meeting his eyes again. "Are you sure?"

Booth let out a deep chuckle. "Are you kidding me? I'm on cloud nine. It's just hard to believe right now. I really thought we were finished. Tuesday night when you told me there was no chance…" He shook his head, "I believed you, Bones."

"I meant it when I said it, Booth. At the time it seemed like you expected a great deal from me. The way you spoke, it sounds as though you thought of us as a destined-to-be-together, happily ever after love story. The kind of women in those stories settle down in the suburbs and have lots of kids and, I don't know, some sort of fowl in the yard. Booth, that's not me."

"Woah, hang on now." Booth ran his hand up and down her arm, hiding his amusement at her depiction of his dream life. "Bones, don't get ahead of yourself here. I'm not asking that you to do any of that. I never was. I just wanted us to be more than…"

"A roll in the hay?" Brennan nodded, offering him a calmer smile. "Looking back, it was easier to see that. I had a great deal of time to examine our conversations over the past few days and hindsight indicated that we both overreacted on more than one occasion. You never did actually request that I begin choose bridesmaids and china patterns."

"And I'm sure you never actually said that you just wanted me for my body before you kicked me to the curb and moved on to the next guy." Booth returned her smile as he reached up, wrapping a strand of her hair around his finger. "Bones, why does it take things like loud, semi-public arguments, head injuries and hospital stays to get us to talk reasonably?"

Brennan raised her eyebrows. "You forget that I intended to have this discussion with you yesterday. Before you decided that your best course of action would be to exclude me from a case that was rightfully mine and replace me with an intern who doesn't measure up to me in anyway whatsoever." Trailing her hand down his chest, Brennan lifted her eyes to his. "It's pointless to speculate, though, Booth. Perhaps we could simply be thankful that we did manage to have a discussion without arguing."

"Hey, Bones?"

"Yes?"

"Scoot over."

"Booth, you really aren't supposed to be on the bed." Brennan protested even as she allowed him to nudge her to the side. "The hospital has strict rules."

"Most of which we've broken already." Booth moved to sit beside her, slipping his arm carefully around her and pulling her against his side. Giving in, Brennan curled herself into his chest and he wrapped both arms around her. "Thank you, Bones."

"For what?"

"For getting better. For letting us see where this thing is going to go. For feeling so good in my arms." Booth dropped a kiss on her hair before tilting her chin up. "I'm crazy about you, Bones. You know that, right?"

An interested look lit Brennan's eyes. "You keep saying that."

"Do I?" Booth raised an eyebrow. "Since when?"

"Since yesterday. Right after I was attacked, when you thought I was still unconscious."

"You know, it's not nice to eavesdrop, Bones." Booth teased, tracing her bottom lip with his finger. "In fact, it's pretty rude."

Brennan smiled and he leaned down to give her a soft kiss.

"What do you mean when you use that phrase, Booth? Given the context, I assume you don't actually mean that I tax your mental faculties."

Booth laughed, pulling her closer. "Well…" He grinned down at her when she smacked her hand harmlessly against his chest. "Nah, Bones. It just means that sometimes… everything I feel for you just sort of takes over and I find myself doing and saying things that even I don't understand. But in a good way. It means that I care about you. A lot."

Brennan thought for a long moment before meeting his eyes again. "In that case, Booth, I believe I too am crazy about you."

Words escaped him as she made her soft declaration, and Booth did the only thing he knew to do to show her how she made him feel. Leaning down, he captured her lips with his and kissed her again and again. Each kiss seemed more tender than the last as he drew her into him, wrapping himself around her, feeling as though he couldn't get her close enough.

Her hand reached up to touch his face and he captured it there, steadying himself with her touch as he drank more of her in. His name whispered on her lips set him on fire and he reciprocated, murmuring her name again and again.

Without warning, another voice, young and eager, interrupted him, stilling his movements. "Hi, Bones! I brought you some flowers to help you feel better."

~B/B~

**So there you have it. =) They're officially dating now. Big steps for both of them! I hope you liked the chapter and, considering I have literally worked on this all night long, I hope you'll take a second and let me know what you thought. I promise it'll make my day to hear from you. =)**

**I'd love to hear people's thoughts on the premier too, but remember that I am still spoiler free for upcoming episodes. **

**Thanks for reading, guys. Next week should be an update at the usual time – Saturday night. So that'll put us back on schedule. Preview: Booth brings a date to a still largely immobile Brennan as an official marker of their new relationship. Oh, and, of course the result of Parker walking in on Dad kissing Bones. =)**


	20. The First of the Dates

**A/N: Hello, readers! =) Once again, I'm slightly amazed that we're meeting at (approximately) our scheduled time. I need to yell, shout, call out a HUGE thank you to all my reviewers for the past chapter. I'm not going to have time to reply to you individually this time. This past week and this coming week have been and continue to be ridiculously busy for me. But I love each and every review and I'm grateful to have such a consistently positive group of readers! So thank you to all of you. Also, if you have a particular concern or question in your review, I will definitely respond to that so feel free to put those in.  
**

**And thank you to Hannah Taylor1 who continues to be an awesome beta. If not for her, you quite literally would not have an update from me this week. She encourages me to keep writing when I'm not sure that I can/should. Please check out her story, "Problem Solving, The Booth and Brennan Way." She's up into chapter 60 something and going as strong as ever. Don't miss out. **

**PLEASE READ! IMPORTANT INFO ON FUTURE UPDATES!  
**

**Now. I should probably issue a warning that this next bit will be about my personal life. You may ask yourself… "Why do I care?" That's a good question, with a good answer. You care because currently my personal life leaves almost no time for writing, which has a huge effect on this story that you all would like to see continued updates for! So… here we go. **

**I am a college student, as many of you already know, and I have finally reached the last stretch of my four-year-turned-six-year degree. This semester is incredibly hectic for me. In addition to regular classes, I'm involved with committees and societies as well as involved in an enormous research project which is a fantastic opportunity. However, as is the case with most fantastic opportunities, it requires an enormous amount of my time. Of course, I also have family obligations and other numerous responsibilities that I won't list out here for you. **

**My point is that I am extremely busy right now and I feel that the quality of this story is suffering, as is my level of enjoyment in continuing it. So, I have a few solutions and I'd like your feedback, please and thank you. =)**

**A) I could reduce weekly updates to a few thousand words. Probably around 2,000-2,500 a week. On Saturdays as usual.**

**B) I could quickly, in 1-2 chapters, tack on an ending to the story and leave it at that. Done. Finished. The end. **

**C) I could go on a temporary hiatus which would end sometime in mid-December, at which point I would resume the story in a more enjoyable, successful way. This hiatus would probably be interrupted by a oneshot or two as I had the time and inclination.**

**Now, none of these options are ideal, but such is life. I'd like to hear your preference, if you have one. But please, please, please don't go out of your way to make me feel bad for a situation I can't help. And if you could refrain from any particularly insulting or angry feedback, that would be helpful as well. =)**

**Let me assure you that I am NOT abandoning this story. I said I wouldn't, and I won't. My preference is option A because I would very much like to continue writing for you all on a weekly basis. But, I'll see what your feedback is. **

**Enough from me. Enjoy chapter 20. =)**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Bones. Still. **

~B/B~

Saturday 12:53 P.M.

_Her hand reached up to touch his face and he captured it there, steadying himself with her touch as he drank more of her in. His name whispered on her lips set him on fire and he reciprocated, murmuring her name again and again. _

_Without warning, another voice, young and eager, interrupted him, stilling his movements. "Hi, Bones! I brought you some flowers to help you feel better."_

The sound of his son's voice had Booth vaulting up from the half-way reclined position he'd sunk into, his arms and legs wrapped around his partner. An audible pop echoed as his lips released hers.

"Parks!" Booth stumbled slightly as he stood up and felt a pang of guilt, watching Brennan wince as he jostled her. "Hey there, bud. You're early, huh? Look at those flowers. Those are some great flowers. Aren't those great flowers, Bones?"

"They're very beautiful." Brennan agreed, sitting up a little straighter and running a hand carefully over her hair. "Of course, they won't actually assist in the healing process, Parker, but I will enjoy looking at them."

"Yeah, girls like flowers." Parker nodded wisely. Looking up at his father curiously, Parker continued. "Hey, Dad, I didn't know Bones was your girlfriend now. I bet you were real worried when she got hurt." Turning to Brennan, Parker asked, "How come you wanted to be my Dad's girlfriend now? That lady at your work who draws me pictures said that you should be his girlfriend but that you'd get mad if someone told you. I guess you figured it out."

Brennan glanced at Booth. "I don't care for labels such as girlfriend, Parker. Your father and I have recently decided to date."

"Isn't that what girlfriends and boyfriends do?" Parker frowned. "Sounds like you're his girlfriend."

"Parker, Dr. Brennan isn't feeling well. Don't bother her with questions." Rebecca's voice came from the doorway, alerting Booth and Brennan's attention to her for the first time. Booth closed his eyes, letting out a sigh.

"Hey, Becca." He made a defeated gesture towards an empty chair. "Please, come in, pull up a seat. Apparently this is a free show."

"With a PG-13 rating." Rebecca said drolly. "As in, unsuitable for young children."

"I couldn't agree more. It's especially unsuitable for young children who arrive early and unannounced, though, don't you think?" Booth gave Rebecca a pointed look, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Booth, perhaps you could take Parker's flowers and find a place for them on the windowsill with the others." Brennan interjected, drawing Booth's attention back to her.

"Sure, Bones." Booth ruffled his son's hair as he took the flowers from his hands. "Parks, don't worry about me and Bones, ok? You know what, why don't you and Bones talk for a while. Bones can tell you all about… hospitals. I'm going to talk to your mom for a minute."

"Booth?" Brennan frowned, sitting up off her pillow.

"I'll be right back, Bones. Will you be alright here?"

"I'll be fine."

"Good. Ok. I'll be right outside the door." Booth glanced at Parker before leaning down and pecking Brennan's forehead. Straightening up, he started to guide Rebecca towards the door.

"Dr. Brennan, I'm glad to see you're doing better. We were all worried when Booth told us the news." Rebecca said as she followed Booth.

"Yes, I'm sure you were. Thank you for your concern."

With a last smile for his partner, Booth ushered Rebecca out of the room and closed the door behind them.

~B/B~

Saturday 1:01 P.M.

"What is it, Seeley?" Rebecca asked as Booth guided her down the hospital hallway. "I'm sorry I didn't call, but my plans changed and I couldn't put off leaving any longer. I'm still going to be late to meet Rodney at his parents' tonight as it is."

"Hold that thought." Booth whipped out his phone and dialed, waiting for all of four seconds before hearing Angela's voice answering. "Ange, hey. No, there's no problem. She's doing great. Look, Parker is here and I need you to come now and stay with Bones. He's not really supposed to be here, so I gotta get him home."

"The nurses only let him in once I told him he was your son." Rebecca whispered. "It was like a magic word or something."

Booth held up his hand for her to wait. "Thanks, Ange." He paused again. "Yeah, that'd be great. She's in her own clothes now, but she'd probably love to… I don't know, freshen up or whatever you women do." He smiled, nodding. "Good. See you in twenty minutes then."

Hanging up his phone, Booth turned back to Rebecca. "Look, Becca, I know I put you out, changing my plans with Parker at the last minute and all, but couldn't you have at least called and let me know you were on your way? That's not exactly the kind of thing I want my son to walk in on. Now's he going to have questions. Lots and lots of questions. Some of which, I probably won't even have the answer to yet. Like whether or not Bones is my girlfriend, for instance."

"I'm sorry, Seeley." Rebecca shrugged, gesturing with one hand. "I didn't know that there was a danger of walking in on you mauling your severely injured work partner. Of course, this is my fault."

"No…" Booth pressed the palm of his hand to his forehead. "It's not your fault. It's no one's fault. It just happened. Look, I'll handle it. Go on and do your… Rodney thing."

"Seeley…"

"And, by the way, I wasn't mauling Bones. We're figuring things out. Mutually. And at the moment it's going pretty well. A lot better than this time yesterday, for instance."

"Seeley…"

"And she's not severely injured anymore. She's going to be just fine. Today has been going very well and she's even been up and walking around. So don't use that judgmental tone with me, Becca. All you walked in on was a kiss between two… involved people. We're involved."

"Seeley. Stop talking." Rebecca shook her head. "I don't care what you and Dr. Brennan do, ok? It's always just been a matter of time. What I'm trying to tell you is that you and I need to talk. Not now, but soon. We need to have a serious talk."

"About what?" Booth asked, immediately wary.

"Just… stuff." Rebecca hedged. "Like I said, not now. But soon. Next week maybe. Ok?"

"Fine." Booth shrugged. "Parker's ok, though?"

"He's great."

"Then, sure. We'll talk." Booth glanced towards Brennan's door. "I'm gonna go back in there now. I don't want to leave her alone for too long."

"Yeah, go ahead. Give Parker a hug for me."

"Sure." Booth gave his ex-girlfriend a smile. "So… just a matter of time, huh?"

Rebecca rolled her eyes. "Seeley, you've been looking at her with big, brown, moony eyes from the beginning. And don't even get me started on how much you talk about her."

Booth chuckled. "Get out of here, Becca. Go meet Roger or whatever his name is."

"Rodney." Becca's smile faded and she grew more serious. "His name is Rodney, Seeley."

As she turned and walked away, Booth stared after her for a moment, confused by her reaction. Then he heard Brennan's laugh and everything else faded from his mind as he headed back to her room.

~B/B~

Saturday 1:38 P.M.

Angela stopped in the doorway of Brennan's hospital room, smiling at the scene that she was about to walk in on. Her best friend sat on her bed, cross-legged with a smile and a handful of cards that she was trying to keep away from Booth's prying eyes.

Booth was sitting next to Brennan on her bed, his arm slung around her and his head close to hers as he poked at her stomach, making her laugh.

"Come on, Bones…" He was saying, "You gotta have a ten. I know you have a ten."

"Dad, she said she doesn't have one!" Parker was laughing too, leaning forward from his own place at the foot of the bed and swatting his Dad's leg. "You have to go fish!"

"But I had to go fish last turn." Booth complained.

"Too bad, Booth." Brennan smiled at him, her eyes sparkling. "You have to draw a card. You were the one who insisted on explaining the rules to this game so carefully. Now you have to follow them."

"Hmm… fine." Booth gave in. "I'll draw a card, but I'm not happy about it, Bones." Leaning towards her, he dropped a semi-covert kiss on her shoulder. "Will you comfort me later?"

Brennan leaned against him, still shielding her cards from his eyes. "You're implying…"

"Oh, yeah, Bones." Booth smiled at her and their eyes locked.

Angela's heart swelled in her chest as she took in the utter happiness on her friend's face. She wasn't sure what had happened in the hours since she had left, but it had transformed a solemn, sad Brennan into a smiling, laughing woman who looked like she had found complete contentment.

Feeling like she was intruding on something incredibly special, but seeing no other option, Angela knocked on the door lightly. "Hey, Sweetie." She moved into the room, noting the disappointed look in Brennan's eye without taking any offense. "I brought you some stuff." She held up the bag in her hand.

"Hi, Angela." Brennan smiled, leaning slightly away from Booth. "We're playing a game called Go Fish. It's very dissimilar to actual fishing. Have you ever played?"

"Of course." Angela chuckled, setting the bag down and walking towards the overcrowded bed. She gave Parker a sideways hug. "Hey, big guy. How's my favorite little Booth?"

"Winning." Parker grinned up at her. "Dad and Bones are distracted."

"I see that." Angela raised her eyebrows at her friend. "I definitely see that. Booth, it seems the night went well. You didn't miss me at all, did you?"

"We did just fine, Ange." Booth squeezed Brennan shoulder and eased off the bed. "Bones, I should…"

Brennan nodded. "You should go, yes."

"Yeah…" Booth sighed and glanced at Angela. "Ange, would you mind taking Parker and getting him ice cream at the cafeteria? I've been promising him he could have some before we leave."

Angela squeezed Parker's shoulder. "Hear that, Parker? Ice cream. That sounds just about perfect right now."

"Yeah!" Parker hopped down off the bed. "Ice cream! Cool!"

"Thanks, Angela." Booth gave the artist a smile that she returned.

"We'll be back in about ten minutes or so." She warned, taking Parker's hand. "Either of you want anything? Besides some time alone?"

Brennan looked up at Booth who gave her a guilty smile. "Nah, we're good."

~B/B~

Saturday 1:43 P.M.

Booth watched as Angela closed the door behind her and Parker and then perched on the edge of Brennan's bed, taking her hand. His eyes reached up to hers and lingered for a long moment before he leaned in and kissed her, his free hand reaching up to smooth her hair back from her face.

He deepened the kiss as he leaned closer and sighed into her mouth. "Bones…"

"Is this why you wanted time alone with me?" She murmured, reaching an arm around his neck and pulling him closer. "Because, if so, I approve."

He chuckled, breaking away from her searching lips and laying a trail of kisses along her jaw and down her neck. "It's part of it, yes." He admitted, moving back to her lips and dropping one last kiss there before sitting back up. "And I wanted to make sure we were ok."

His eyes grew serious as he looked at her. "Bones, I hate to leave you. I want to have my weekend with Parker and we're going to have a great time together, but I can't stand leaving you. It was going to be hard enough to leave you tied down to a hospital bed as it was, but now…"

"I'm hardly tied down, Booth." Brennan corrected. "And I will be perfectly fine. You should enjoy your time with Parker without worrying about me."

"Don't ask me not to worry about you, Bones." Booth lifted her hand to his lips and kissed her fingers, then her palm. "It's my job."

"Your job is to apprehend criminals." Brennan laid her head back against her bed and closed her eyes. "Booth, please stop worrying. I confess that I have enjoyed your company and, if you were to stay, I would continue to enjoy it. But nothing bad will happen if you leave. In fact, if you leave I will likely rest more which will be more beneficial to my health than attempting to decipher very complicated card games while my mind is still functioning at a lower level."

Booth couldn't help the smile that spread over his face. "Bones, Go Fish isn't a complicated card game. It's a very simple card game. The fact that it was so hard for you means that your mind is working at its usual genius level."

"That's nonsensical." Brennan protested.

"I'm crazy over you, Bones." Booth responded, moving on quickly before she could react to his words. "And I hate, hate, hate leaving you when you're in the hospital. So this is what I want you to do for me, ok?"

Brennan didn't answer, so he simply continued.

"You're going to rest tonight. You're going to stay in this bed as much as possible and you're going to let the doctors test you and watch you and do whatever else they want to do to make sure that you're still getting better. You're going to have Angela or Max here all the time with you." He reached out and tucked her hair behind her hear. "And if anything happens, if anything changes, or if you just want to… you're going to call me. Promise?"

"Booth…"

"Promise me, Bones. Or there's no way I'm leaving. Please?"

Brennan looked at him for a long moment before her eyes narrowed. "Is this because we're dating now and so you're asserting control over my perceived well being?"

Booth shook his head. "This isn't a control thing, Bones. This is someone who cares about you asking you to take care of yourself. Will you promise me?"

With a sigh, Brennan nodded. "I will do the best that I can."

"Thank you." He leaned forward and kissed her again, lingering as her hand came up and sank into his hair, holding him close. He kissed her for several long moments, enjoying the feel of her lips and the taste of her tongue.

With a sigh, he pulled back. "They're planning on discharging you tomorrow, right?"

"At 2:00, yes." Brennan slid her hand down his neck and latched on to the lapel of his jacket, tugging him back to her. He met her lips with his and gave her a gentle kiss.

"I can't even pick you up and take you home, Bones. I have to get Parker to Rebecca by 2:30."

"I'm sure Angela will be willing to assist me."

"Yeah." Booth dropped his chin to his chest for a moment before looking up at her. "I can't believe I have to leave you here. I'm going to call you tonight and tomorrow morning, alright? And I want you to call me anytime you feel like it. Ok?"

"I'll be looking forward to your calls." Brennan admitted, pulling him in and sliding a hand up to his shoulder.

"Me to." Booth brushed his lips over hers. "Bones, Angela is going to be back any second and there's something I've got to ask you first."

"Yes?" Brennan blinked at him, a shadow clouding her blue eyes.

Booth smiled. "I want to see you tomorrow. After Angela gets you settled in at home and Parker is back with Rebecca. I know that tomorrow's going to be a long day for you and you'll be tired when you get home, so feel free to say no. But…" He slid his hand over her arm, twining their fingers. "I was wondering… if you wanted to go on a date with me tomorrow night?"

Brennan's eyes widened for a moment before she answered. "Booth, I would like to, but I'm not sure the timing is feasible. My mobility will be limited for some time and…"

Booth shook his head. "No, Bones. You won't have to do anything or go anywhere. We won't leave your building. I just have an idea I think you might like. But if you think you're going to be too tired or if you just want to be alone, we can do it some other time. I just…"

"Booth, yes." Brennan nodded, a smile touching the corners of her mouth as she interrupted his nervous rambling. "I would like to go on a date with you tomorrow night."

"Good." Booth nearly laughed in relief before he saw the frown flickering on Brennan's lips and pressed her hand. "What's wrong, Bones?"

"The doctor has indicated that I shouldn't engage in strenuous activity for approximately the next two weeks. If you're expecting intercourse tomorrow night, I may not be able to engage in the actual act of copulation."

"Bones!" Booth closed his eyes, shaking his head in amazement. "Baby, no. First of all, can we call it making love or something? Or sex? Sex is fine too. Just… not intercourse or copulation."

Brennan cocked an eyebrow. "You insist upon calling me baby even though I protest, and yet you want me to give up scientifically correct terms in favor of vague phrases such as, 'make love?'"

Booth narrowed his eyes. "Ok… how about this? I call you baby and you can use the term 'intercourse.'"

"No." Brennan smirked before growing more serious. "Booth, about tomorrow night, though…"

"Bones…" Booth grew serious too. "Look, you don't need to worry about things like that, ok? I'm not expecting anything. I'm not dating you just to sleep with you. And we're not even thinking about making love until you have been absolutely, completely and utterly cleared by the doctor. Understand?"

"You want to take things slowly." Brennan surmised.

"Yeah." Booth smiled at her. "There's no rush, Bones. And no expectations. Ok?"

Brennan grinned, pulling him close again and capturing his lips. "Talk for yourself, Booth."

~B/B~

Sunday 4:41 P.M.

Booth lifted his hand to knock on Brennan's door, just as he had so many times before. The gesture was the same, the sound the same, and in a few seconds, she would open the door just as she always did. There was just one difference. Now he wasn't knocking on just his partner's door. He was knocking on the door of the woman he was dating. The woman that he would probably greet with a kiss. Her arms would wind around him and his hands would settle at her waist. His lips would part over hers and…

The door opened to reveal Brennan standing in the doorway, her lips tipped up in a welcoming smile.

"Hi." She murmured, stepping back to let him in.

"Hey, Bones." He didn't move as he took in the sight of her slowly, his eyes travelling from her bare face down her body. She was wearing a pair of light green, cotton shorts that showed off her long legs and a matching tanktop that stretched over her breasts and displayed her shoulders. Her hair was tied up and the bandage at the base of her skull was just barely visible. He'd never seen her look so simply natural and beautiful all at once.

They'd talked on the phone five times since he'd left her the day before. He'd been privy to all of her medical results and he'd been talking to her as she left the hospital. Still, it was a jolt to see her standing so normally in the hallway. Like she'd never been laying, pale as a sheet, in a hospital bed. Silently, he sent up one more prayer thanking God and the saints that she was alright.

Her smile became teasing as she stepped forward and reached her hand up to the collar of his shirt, toying with it playfully. "You're staring. In a prolonged fashion. Are you enjoying the view, Agent Booth?"

He grinned, feeling a little giddy as he slid his arm around her waist and drew her closer. "I don't know if that's a strong enough word, Bones. The view happens to be pretty amazing."

His free hand drifted up, his fingers skimming over the line of her jaw. "You know, I still can't wrap my head around the fact that I get to look at you if I want to. Right now I should be stammering some lame excuse to explain away gaping at you and you should be buying it like bottled water during a tornado warning."

Brennan shook her head, her nose bumping against Booth's. Shying away from his searching lips, she continued to tease him as she threaded her fingers through the back of his hair. "I'm far too intelligent to accept any implausible explanation for your actions, Booth."

"Bones…" Booth's grin widened and he leaned in quickly, pressing a kiss to the corner of her jaw. "You've been accepting any explanation I've thrown your way for years."

She started to argue, but he pressed a finger against her lips.

"Uh-uh. I haven't seen you in over a day, Bones. Which means I haven't kissed you in over a day. I don't know about you, but that's too long for me."

"Hmm…" Brennan stepped back, taking his hand and cocking an eyebrow at him. "Maybe you should come in then."

He followed her into her apartment, turning as she closed the door behind him. The moment the lock was back in place, she was in his arms, pressing her slender body against his as her arms wove around his neck. "You were saying?" She looked up at him, her big blue eyes inviting him closer.

"Who cares?" He touched his lips to hers and immediately sank in as the moment stretched into eternity and he lost himself in the cadence of mouth and the taste of her lips. His hand slid from her waist, up her back and into her hair, moving to cup her face. She fisted her hand in the material of his t-shirt and pulled him closer, her tongue sliding along his lips and into the depths of his mouth in ways that made his head spin and his hands clutch at her.

It would have been the easiest, most natural thing in the world to give in to her as she attempted to guide him to the couch, but he forced himself to pull back, nipping at her bottom lip one last time and swallowing the small gasp that escaped her.

"Bones…" He leaned down and placed a kiss at the corner of her jaw, flicking the tip of his tongue over the sensitive flesh and making her squirm against him. "Our date, remember?"

"Yes, I think it's going very well." She ran her hands down his chest, lingering over each defined muscle as she moved lower. "I have always suspected that you would be excellent at intercourse, and if your skill with kissing is any indicator, I was correct." Brennan leaned back towards him and he gave in long enough to kiss her as hard as he dared to while she was still so fragile. Pulling away again, he leaned his forehead against hers.

"Our date, Bones, is more than just making out in your apartment. As much fun as that is." Dropping a kiss on her nose, Booth draped his arms more companionably around her waist. "I have plans for us."

"What kind of plans?" Brennan raised her eyebrows skeptically. "I do have unfortunate physical restrictions at the moment."

"You do. And they've been keeping you from getting around much which is driving you crazy, right?"

"I do resent immobility, yes." Brennan admitted. "What does this have to do with our date?"

"What am I wearing, Bones?" Booth stepped back, gesturing to himself. "What do you see?"

"Booth…" Brennan grinned, her blue eyes alight with pleased mischief. "If you're suggesting that I should remove what you're wearing, then I can confidently say that I'm going to enjoy the date you have planned for us."

Booth's pulse sped up as his flirtatious partner scanned her eyes over him, her bottom lip caught between her teeth.

Suppressing the groan that welled up in him, Booth shook his head. "Swim trunks, Bones. I'm wearing swim trunks and a t-shirt. And I happen to know that you have a swimsuit. And a pool downstairs. What could two people in swimsuits do in a pool, Bones?"

"A number of things." Brennan moved towards him again and he let her wrap her arms around his waist, her hand sliding up to press against the skin of his back. "Some sanctioned, some not."

"Haa…" A thousand thoughts rushed through Booth's mind and he shoved them all away before he abruptly changed their plans for the evening. "I was just planning on a little light exercise, Bones. Something to get you moving around again after laying around for three days." Sliding his hands up her arms and down her back. "I know it's not much of a first date, but our options are kind of limited right now and I can tell you're getting tired of just sitting around, so I thought…" He felt a tug of anxiousness as she continued to simply look at him. "But if you don't want to, we don't have to, Bones. Would you rather just stay around here or…"

She smiled, raising her eyebrows. "You seem nervous, Booth. I don't often observe nervousness from you."

He let out a small laugh. "Uh, yeah. Maybe a little. We're dating now, Bones. I mean, if we were still just partners, I'd just walk in and tell you to get changed and meet me at your pool in five minutes. Now it's different. There's extra stuff to worry about."

Confusion flitted over Brennan's features. "Isn't nervousness during a date usually a result of uncertainty over whether or not the evening will end in intercourse? You've already made it clear that you're going to insist on listening to the doctor's suggestion that I wait two weeks before engaging in strenuous activity."

"Well, yeah, Bones. But there are other things to worry about, too. It's not just about sex. I don't want to disappoint you or bore you or something the first time we go on a date. It should be memorable. It should be…"

Brennan interrupted his explanation with a kiss that she quickly deepened as her hands tugged him closer. Surprised but more than willing, Booth responded to her, letting out a groan of pleasure as she grazed his bottom lip with her teeth. His hand slid beneath her tank top, resting on the bare skin of the small of her side and sliding up, his thumb dragging over her taut stomach.

She broke the kiss and his entire body protested vehemently. "Geez, Bones…"

"There's no reason to be nervous, Booth." Brennan placed her hand on his chest and looked up into his eyes. "I enjoy spending time with you regardless of the activity and I think that spending our first date at the pool is an excellent idea. The water resistance will allow me to exercise without expending much energy. It was a very thoughtful suggestion."

"I'm glad you think so." He smiled down at her, smoothing a stray hair out of her face.

"There's no reason to be nervous." She repeated, frowning up at him. "I'd very much prefer that we behave as normally as possible on our dates."

"Right." He nodded, giving her another smile for good measure. "No nervousness. No tension. You got it, Bones."

"Good." She leaned up and pressed a quick kiss to his lips. "In that case…" She trailed a finger down his arm, lingering on the lines of his bicep. "I will go and take off all of my clothes…" She gave him a wicked grin when his hand tightened convulsively on her waist, "and put on my bikini." Easing away from him, she headed for her bedroom.

"Uh, Bones?" He called after her.

She turned in the hallway, waiting.

"I think the tension might be coming back."

Her laugh moved through the room, sending warmth spreading through him. "I don't mind that kind of tension, Booth."

~B/B~

Sunday 5:13 P.M.

Brennan gave herself one last look in the mirror before returning to the living room. She was proud of her body. Secure in a way that most women only dreamed of. She admired the firmness of her arms and legs, the flat plane of her stomach, the curves that filled out the simple, industrial black bikini that she'd bought years ago. The wish that she should have let Angela talk her into the more flirtatious, brightly colored bikini that she'd promptly rejected flitted through her mind nearly unheeded. This suit was perfect for her. Practical with a strong dose of sexual to go along with it.

Satisfied that Booth's jaw would metaphorically hit the floor, she headed out of her room, down the hall and into her kitchen where Booth was waiting, drumming his fingers on her counter as he sipped at a glass of water. He was deep in thought about something and didn't notice her at first, giving her an opportunity to thoroughly look him over.

The grey FBI t-shirt he was wearing was tight on his shoulders and stretched down over his muscled chest. The fabric had been soft under her hands, contrasting with the solid mass of her partner just beneath it.

His swim trunks were strangely appealing to her. They were simple, without the flowers or the stripes that were often on men's swim trunks. His were a faded red with a few accents of black in the drawstring and along the sides. The way they hung on him made her stomach clench and she let her gaze fall to where strong, muscled calves appeared.

Her partner was utterly, completely, gorgeously male.

Stepping into the room, she drew his attention and watched with supreme satisfaction as his eyes widened and his lips parted. He pushed away from her counter in an awkwardly quick motion and lifted a hand to rest on the back of his neck as he swallowed hard.

"Wow… uh. Hi. I mean, welcome back. Wow."

She carefully hid her smile, deliberately turning in a circle for him. "Will this do?"

"Hell, yes." The words fell out of his mouth and he attempted to rephrase. "I mean, yeah. You look great, Bones. Really, really great."

"Thank you." Moving towards him, she felt a thrill of pleasure as he took a defensive step backwards. Cornering him against the counter, she slipped her arms around him and lifted up to kiss him. His hands instinctively went to her waist and he held her gingerly as he returned the kiss.

Easing away, she looked up at him. "Booth…?"

"Hmm?"

"You seem to be nervous again."

"Yeah… well, Bones, you're practically naked." Booth hissed the words under his breath as though they were a secret. "That's nerve-wracking. Especially when you're practically naked and available for kissing and holding and touching…" He stopped, shaking his head. "I don't think I thought this pool idea through."

Brennan laughed and headed for the door, picking her keys up along the way. "Are you ready, Booth?"

"Bones!" Booth called after her, hurrying to catch up. "Bones, you're not going to just walk out of here like that, are you?"

Brennan stopped, her hand on the door knob. "What else would I wear to the pool?"

"Clothes!" Booth looked around as though expecting to find some sort of turtleneck, ankle-length dress draped over a piece of furniture. When nothing appeared, he reached for his own shirt, hauling it over his head and handing it to her. "Here, put this on. At least until we get in the water."

Brennan took the shirt from him, looking at it for a moment, before returning her eyes to feast on the wide expanse of chiseled flesh that her partner had just exposed to her. She tugged her bottom lip into her mouth, biting down on it as her gaze raked over him.

With a flick of her wrist, she deposited Booth's shirt on the floor and then stepped towards him. Her arms were around him before he could protest and her body flush against his.

"Booth…" She murmured, dragging her lips over his shoulder and up the strong column of his neck. Her hands flattened against his broad, warm back. "You are very… very well formed."

He groaned in her ear, wrapping himself around her and hanging on. "Bones."

"Kiss me, Booth."

He complied, kissing her soundly and thoroughly before stopping long enough to remind her, "Bones… we're taking it slow, remember? Doctor and… no expectations." He drew a ragged breath as he leaned his forehead against hers. "We should get down the pool." Swallowing hard, he licked his lips. "… shouldn't we?"

Brennan ran her hand down his chest, her eyes locking on his. "Should we, Booth?"

~B/B~

**Should they….? ;-) **

**Alright, if you skipped that long section of my A/N, I don't blame you, but you might want to go back and read it so that you can let me know what you think. Which option appeals to you?**

*************There WILL be an update next week, of indeterminate length. Since I won't have tallied all the feedback yet, we'll proceed as normal until I do. **

**Thank you to everyone who reviews consistently! Please don't stop now! At this point, it honestly is your feedback that keeps me carving out sections of time to write new chapters. =)**


	21. The First of the Dates, Part 2

**A/N: Good evening. =) See? I told you there would be a chapter this week! =) I want to extend a sincere thank you to everyone who reviewed the last chapter and gave me so much feedback and support on continuing this story. I appreciated everyone's comments and especially the encouragement for both writing and my schoolwork. **

**Just to let everyone know, the vast majority of the votes were for continuing the story with shorter updates. Most people also said that they would understand if I needed to take a hiatus at some point to. So what I plan to do is continue updating on Saturdays with the shorter chapters with the understanding that there might be a week or two here or there that I need to take off to deal with other things. If I end up having to take more than a week off, I'll let everyone know ahead of time. **

**Anyway, thank you again for sticking with me! It means a lot to know that people look forward to these chapters and want them to continue. =)**

**This chapter was a new experiment with shorter scenes. It's got a lot of fluff (I know how you hate that ;-) but there is some plot development at the end. I hope you like the chapter and I hope you'll let me know how you felt about how the shorter length turned out. **

**Once again I need to thank Hannah Taylor1 who honestly does keep me writing during the week. She is every bit as much responsible for this chapter being written as I am. So make sure you leave her nice reviews for her story "Problem Solving, The Booth and Brennan Way" which I know you're all reading because you're smart people with great taste! ;-) **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Bones. **

~B/B~

Booth took his partner's hand as they walked towards the elevator, smiling down at her as their fingers intertwined. The sight of her in his t-shirt was nearly as tantalizing as seeing her in nothing but the small, basic black bikini that stretched over her curves and displayed the pale expanse of her skin. It had taken all of his willpower to untangle himself from her eager hands and searching lips long enough to lead her out the door.

The elevator dinged and the doors opened. A man in an expensive suit started forward, but paused as he caught sight of Brennan. A wolfish smile formed on the strangers lips and he looked Booth's partner up and down, making a small, but audible appreciative noise.

"I have to say I like your style." The businessman moved to stand in front of Brennan' blocking the entrance to the elevator and ignoring Booth entirely. "Maybe you should get into the fashion industry. I wouldn't mind it if more women walked around like that."

"What?" Brennan looked down. "That would be impractical in most situations."

Irritated that the man's blatant attempt to hit on his partner, the woman whose hand was caught in his, Booth stepped forward, edging himself between Brennan and the business man.

Eyes narrowed, Booth stared the man down. "Weren't you getting out here?"

"Actually, no. I'm a few floors up." The man said, staring back at Booth.

"Ah." Booth nodded. "Take the stairs."

"Excuse me?"

"I said move along."

"Booth!" Brennan tugged at his hand, frowning up at him. "What are you doing?"

"Just trust me, Bones." Booth muttered, brushing the man aside so that they could step inside the elevator.

Brennan continued to frown, then looked at the confused man still blocking the doors. "Oh, I see." She nodded wisely before addressing the stranger. "My partner feels threatened by your sexual interest in me. We've only recently begun to date and he is displaying insecurity. You should go."

"Bones!" Booth closed his eyes, leaning his head back.

The man gaped at her. "What are you talking about?"

"Just…" Brennan stepped forward, waving the man away. He automatically stepped back and the doors closed. "There." Brennan turned to Booth, smiling. "That was simple enough."

Booth jabbed a finger into the lobby button and glared at her before leaning his forehead against the wall. "Bones, you can't say stuff like that. You can't talk to people about sexual interest and you especially can't talk about my insecurity."

"But, I was right, wasn't I?" Brennan moved to stand beside him, forcing herself into the small space between him and the wall and sliding her arms around his neck. "You disliked his appreciation of my appearance."

"Yeah, I… disliked it." Booth muttered. "The guy could have had a little respect. I was standing right there, holding your hand, and he's looking at you like a slab of beef in a market."

Brennan wrinkled her nose. "That is a distinctly unappealing metaphor." Sliding her hands down his bare chest, she laid small kisses along his throat. "Why does it matter that he looked at me, Booth? Men frequently look at me and you haven't ever caused such a scene before."

"Mmm…" Was Booth's only reply for a moment as Brennan worked her lips against the underside of his jaw. His big hands circled her waist, drawing her closer. Instinctively, he reached out and pushed the buttons for four or five floors, hoping to delay the time before they reached the lobby and had to keep their hands off of each other again.

"Booth?" Brennan prompted him to remember the question.

"Because…" Booth murmured in her ear, "It's different now, Bones. I keep telling you that. It's one thing when guys blatantly hit on you when we're working or something. It's a whole different story when they hit on you while we're on a date. While we're out on a date we're… mmm." He trailed off as she nipped at his earlobe. "Geez, Bones… you're driving me crazy."

"While we're out on a date we're what, Booth?" Brennan pulled back, ignoring the elevator doors as they opened uselessly, waiting for no one to board the elevator.

"We're together. You're… "He hesitated to finish his thought. "What I mean is, when we're on a date it means we've agreed to be each other's for the evening. How would you feel if some girl hit on me while we were on date?"

Her eyes narrowed and he was thrown back to lunch at the new restaurant just a week earlier. "Like that waitress, Bones. That poor waitress who had her sexual interest announced to the room." He grinned as he leaned in and stole a kiss. "Same thing."

"Hmm." Brennan pursed her lips, thinking for a moment. "I suppose I can't argue with that logic. Even if I still find it strange and amusing that you would allow a man less attractive than you to intimidate you."

Booth smiled and the remnants of his consternation vanished. Sliding his arms more tightly around her, he dipped his head for a long, slow kiss. "You really do think I'm hot, don't you, Bones?"

"Booth?"

"Yeah, baby?"

"This is our floor." Brennan gave him one last peck and pulled away with a grin. "And I believe this family would like to use the elevator now."

~B/B~

The air in the pool room was warm and the distinctive scent of chlorine hit Booth and Brennan's sense as they stepped inside. The pool was deserted and Brennan led the way to one of the chairs, tossing her keys down and kicking off her sandals.

Turning to Booth, she smiled and slipped her arms out of his t-shirt. "This was an excellent idea, Booth. I haven't used the pool in approximately three years, if I remember correctly. I'm enjoying our date so far."

With this announcement, Brennan pulled Booth's shirt off and leaned over, laying it neatly on the chair. Behind her, Booth gulped as most of his partner's gorgeous body was suddenly on display for him again. In an effort to seem casual, Booth kicked off his own flip-flops and slid a hand over her back as she straightened up.

"Me too, Bones." He kept his eyes on her face, reaching up to stroke a hand over her cheek. "Listen, before we get in the water, are you still feeling alright? Does your head hurt or are you feeling weak or anything? Because I don't want you to get in if you think its going to bother you."

"I'm fine." Brennan smiled up at him, taking his hand as she stepped backwards. "But I would like to get in the water now. Are you coming?"

Unbidden, Booth's eyes dropped and moved over her. His muscles tensed as his eyes roamed the planes of her stomach and the curves of her breasts displayed so generously in her bikini top. "Coming." He followed her quickly before she could call him out on staring again.

Brennan led him over to the pool stairs and Booth watched in amusement as her delicate toes made light splashes as she tapped them against the water. "So… what's your style, Bones?" He crossed his arms, raising his eyebrows as her other foot followed her first and she was standing at the top of the stairs, feet barely immersed. "Your getting in style, I mean. I wouldn't have pegged you for an easer."

"An easer?" Brennan frowned up at him. "I don't know what that means."

"Well there's two ways to get in a pool." Booth informed her with a smile. "There's the way you're doing it now. All slow and steady. Takes forever. Or…" His smile morphed into a mischievous grin. "There's the catapulter."

"The…" Brennan started to repeat him, but he was already turning, tightening his muscles as he pushed off the ledge of the pool and jumped into the air. He pulled his knees up to his chest and plunged into the deeper section of the pool, screwing his face up to keep the sudden onslaught of water out of any orifice.

When Booth surfaced, his eyes stayed closed and he reached his hands up to scrub the water off of his face before opening them. When he could see again, he found himself face to face with Brennan, in the water to her shoulders, an amused smirk on her face.

"Catapulter seems to be an accurate word." She observed, sidling closer to him.

"Bones, you're supposed to be on the stairs." Booth protested. "You were easing. There was definitely easing happening."

"I was determining the temperature of the water." Brennan corrected him primly. "Before I immerse myself, it's helpful to know if the water is tepid or if the cold is going to require my body to adjust significantly. If you had waited, rather than throwing yourself headfirst into the water, you would have seen that I, as usual, don't ease into anything, Booth."

He had to laugh, shaking his head to expel some of the water clinging to his hair. "Shoulda figured, Bones. You're an all in kind of girl."

Brennan smiled, moving closer still. "I would have joined you in jumping if it weren't for the bandaging on my head. It can't be immersed."

"That's right." Booth reached a hand up to touch her neck gently. "You need to be… oh. Hello." Booth forgot his responsible warning as Brennan closed the distance between them, wrapped her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist. The weightless feel of her body pressed against his set each one of his nerves on fire.

His hands went to her legs instinctively and his fingers slid over the bare, wet flesh. Moving his hands over her hips, he migrated to her waist before he could slow down his eager exploration of her skin.

"Bones…"

Brennan's hands were on him too. Her palms spread over his wet shoulders and down his back, around to his stomach. The purring sound in the back of her throat as she explored him nearly snapped his self control.

"Bones, why are you trying to kill me?" He murmured the words as he trailed his lips down the side of her neck. "

Frowning, Brennan leaned back far enough to see his face. "I can assure you that I don't wish for your death, Booth. That would be very upsetting to me."

"Then maybe we set up some rules here." Booth suggested, bumping his nose lightly against hers and stealing a kiss. "Because with you looking the way you do right now and feeling the way you do," he placed another lingering kiss on her mouth, "and tasting the way you do... Bones, I can be a pretty determined guy, but I've got my limits."

Brennan thought for a moment. "You mean that you're aroused and my current state of dress and proximity to you is taxing your self-control."

"Heh, yeah, you could say that." Booth slid his hand down her spine, his large palm roaming her skin. "But, Bones… now don't get frustrated, ok?" He wrapped his arms around her waist more securely.

"I can't promise I won't become frustrated without knowing what you're going to say, Booth."

"Look, I just think that it's important that we go slow. And not just because of your head injury, Bones. This is all still new to us. It would be so easy to just do what feels natural here and..." he paused, looking at her searching blue eye. Swooping down, he pressed his lips to hers and kissed her hard and long before breaking away. Touching his hand to her cheek, he drew in a ragged breath. "…You get the point."

Smiling, Brennan shifted against him, moving closer. "It would be easy to act on our physical attraction."

"Yeah." Booth kissed her temple as she settled her head against his shoulder. "But I want to do this right, Bones."

Brennan trailed a finger along his jawline, her head tilted she scrutinized the planes of his face. "Is there a particularly right way?"

With a sigh, Booth tightened his hold on her briefly before releasing her. Her arms and legs were still wrapped sinuously around him, keeping her body pressed against his, and yet Brennan felt the distance he was putting between them and her brow furrowed in petulant response. Stubbornly, she lifted her face to his and kissed his traitorously willing lips.

"Bones...hah…mmm." Booth slid his arms back around her and rested his forehead on her shoulder. "You know, this conversation would be hard enough with you fully clothed and sitting on the opposite side of the couch. Maybe we shouldn't try talking about it while you're half naked and wrapped around me."

"But I enjoy having the advantage." Brennan teased, tightening her grip on him.

"Bones, have mercy." Booth reached up and unlocked her arms from around his neck and distangled himself from her, backing up several steps in the water. "Just… stay." He ordered before sinking underneath the water.

He pushed off from the bottom of the pool and stroked through the water, aiming his tension-ridden body at the side of the pool furthest away. The energy he expended helped to dissipate the absolute craving he had to keep tasting and touching his partner and he swam four sets of laps before surfacing at a safe distance from Brennan.

As he wiped the water from his face, his partner regarded him curiously. "Booth?"

"Look, Bones…" He interrupted her, determined to say what he didn't want to say before she could distract him again. "I just think that if we keep… kissing like we have been… like in your apartment a few minutes ago and in the elevator and here just now…. I think we're going to end up moving too fast. And when we move fast it doesn't go well, Bones. We get confused and distracted and things fall apart…"

She moved through the water, heading towards him. "Booth…"

"And I just think that we should slow down. That's all." Booth continued hurriedly. "It would be a compromise, Bones. I know that. You're all about moving quickly to the physical stuff and I get that. But we both have to give a little here, you know? We're just casually dating. No commitment, no titles, no anything. That's a compromise for me and I think that you should compromise too and agree to let me… direct this area."

"Booth, I'm not…"

"Don't say no right away, Bones."

"Booth." Brennan was right in front of him now and she jabbed him in the shoulder, shutting him up. "I have no intention of arguing with you on this point."

"You don't?" Booth narrowed his eyes suspiciously.

"No." Brennan shrugged easily. "I understand the concept of compromise. Angela often reminds me that it is the key to interpersonal relationships. And I agree that you are making a compromise by not requiring a typical romantic relationship in regards to romantic overtures and long-term commitments."

"You do?"

"Yes. And in return, I am willing to compromise with you regarding our physical relationship." She held up a hand as he started to smile. "On two conditions."

Booth crossed his arms over his bare chest. "What conditions, Bones?"

"The first is that copulation must occur before we have been dating for a month." Brennan reached up and smoothed his wet hair back before meeting his eyes. "Is that an acceptable condition?"

Booth caught her hand as it descended his chest and linked his fingers with her. "I'm not sure I could wait any longer than that." He confessed, his eyes dropping from her face for a brief, weak moment. "What's the second condition, Bones?"

Brennan smiled, reaching for his other hand and tugging him closer. The smirk that settled on her lips set his blood on fire every bit as much as the teasingly suggestive tone in her voice as she answered. "The second condition will likely be harder for you to accept. Would you like to discuss it here or when we return to my apartment and are clothed again?"

"Ah…" Booth gulped as a million possibilities ran through his head. His own imagination had him desperate to hold her again and he brutally cut off his multiple trains of thought. "You know, maybe we should just swim for awhile…"

~B/B~

**Poor, restrained Booth. ;-) I hope you guys didn't mind all the kissing… ;-) I might have gotten a bit caught up in the fact that they're allowed to kiss whenever they want now. Unlike on the show, where Booth constantly has his lips plastered all over a blonde chick. **

**By the way – a few of you asked for my opinions on season 6 so far. To be honest, I haven't formulated too many. I'm reserving judgment until things get under way a bit better. So far I don't hate Hannah, I feel like Angela is not herself, Booth is acting a little weird and Brennan is… I don't really know what she is yet. Regretful, I think. I hope. **

**Anyway, I'm still waiting for that ol' Bones magic to kick in. Come on episode 4! Get with the program!**

**As always, your feedback is extremely important to me. I've said it before and I'll say it again – we authors put a lot of work into these chapters and the thing that makes it most worthwhile is hearing from YOU, our beloved readers. =) So please drop a note. I'd love to hear from you. Unfortunately I won't be able to reply to all of you or even most of you. But if there's a particular something you want addressed, I will definitely reply. =)**


	22. Hiatus

Readers,

First I would like to thank most of you for your consistent support. It means a great deal to me. Your reviews, private messages and emails have brightened many a day! To Alicat76, Alicia9876, mystizan, Bones35, etakkate, cherryxme, londonli, daffodil7511 and many, many others who have reviewed each chapter for better or worse, a special thank you.

Second, I would like go ahead and let everyone know that I will be going on a temporary hiatus due to an incredible opportunity for research publication that seems to have fallen from the sky directly into my lap. I don't know how long this hiatus will last, or if it will be a complete hiatus. I am sure that from time to time the bug to write a Bones oneshot will hit and you'll hear from me again. However, I can't commit any portion of time to writing a multi-chapter fic, which requires much more focus than a oneshot.

So, I must leave fanfic for a time and I'm sad to go, but hopeful that I will soon return. Given the response to my last A/N, this hiatus will upset and/or anger some of you, but I hope the majority of readers understand that this is not a small opportunity that has come my way, and I need to dedicate myself fulltime to pursuing it. I have very much enjoyed writing for you and hearing from you. I hope to continue to do so in the future!

~Elle


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